New Mossad chief dismisses deputy overseeing Iran file

• Ousted official led covert operations targeting Iran
• Official was considered a Netanyahu ally, removed despite being seen as a potential successor
• Move follows another senior Mossad departure amid leadership shake-up

In a move that has sent shockwaves through 'Israel’s' intelligence community, the newly appointed director of the Mossad, Roman Gofman, has abruptly dismissed his deputy director.

The official -referred to under security protocols as "A"- served as the direct commander of the spy agency's highly sensitive Iran portfolio.

The decision comes less than a week after Gofman, a former military secretary to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, officially took the helm of the foreign intelligence agency following the departure of outgoing chief David Barnea.

According to Channel 12 and regional defense analysts, the dismissal is part of an aggressive push by Gofman to reshape the Mossad’s high command and dictate a new operational trajectory for the agency.

Sidelining Netanyahu ally

The ousting of the deputy director is particularly notable given his deep political and professional alignment with 'Israel's' political leadership.

Prior to his sudden termination, "A" was widely recognized within defense circles as a staunch right-wing strategist who maintained exceptionally close ties to Netanyahu.

Furthermore, he had spent 22 years rising through the operational ranks of the Mossad and was heavily favored by former chief David Barnea to eventually inherit the top director position. His removal bypasses traditional succession tracks, sparking intense debate over the growing politicization and internal fractures within the nation's security establishment.

During his recent tenure, the dismissed deputy shouldered some of the state's heaviest national security responsibilities, operating on the front lines of the regional shadow war. He was directly charged with managing the multi-layered "Iran file," spearheading complex espionage rings, sabotage missions, and strategic intelligence operations explicitly calibrated to weaken and attempt to bring down the ruling government in Tehran.

While Gofman publicly affirmed during his swearing-in ceremony that the covert war against the Iranian regime and its regional proxies remains the agency's highest priority, the firing indicates a profound disagreement over tactical execution and leadership style.

Further resignations expected

The intelligence community is bracing for additional institutional fallout.

The high-profile purge of the deputy director comes just five days after the head of the Mossad's Tevel department -the division responsible for international intelligence partnerships and foreign relations- unexpectedly resigned.

Insiders and defense experts predict a wider wave of retirements and resignations among senior intelligence officers in protest of the new director's sweeping structural changes.

Gofman's circle has defended the aggressive overhaul as a necessary step to inject "new blood" into the senior command structure, signaling a volatile new chapter for 'Israel's' premier intelligence agency.