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10:21 13.08.2026 •
Pic.: publics
Current and former Mossad figures cited by Israeli media have accused Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad chief Roman Gofman of scapegoating the sacked officials, New Arab reports.
Israel's Mossad intelligence agency has sacked two senior officials over a failed scheme to overthrow Iran's government, prompting backlash in the country's security establishment over the decision.
The plan involved using minority groups in Iran and fomenting protests against the government, according to a report by Israel's Channel 12 on Thursday.
According to a New York Times report from March, the plan was endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who discussed the scheme with US President Donald Trump. Reports also said at the time that Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on war crimes charges, was frustrated that the plan had failed.
The plot involved carrying out airstrikes near Iran's border with Iraqi Kurdistan, with Kurdish separatist groups expected to lead an armed insurgency against the government.
In April, Trump appeared to confirm that the protests were backed by foreign actors, saying in an interview with Fox News that weapons were sent to Iran.
"We sent guns to the protesters, a lot of them," the president said, adding that "the Kurds" had kept the weapons for themselves.
The decision to sack the two Mossad officials has led to backlash from the Israeli security establishment against agency chief Roman Gofman and Netanyahu.
Gofman, the current director of the Mossad, who was appointed in June this year.
Israeli newspaper Maariv quoted an unnamed Mossad official as saying that the prime minister had "ruined" the intelligence agency.
"This is what happens when you appoint a politician [Gofman] whose entire mission is to clean up the failure committed by the prime minister and the political leadership in managing the war", the source was quoted as saying.
"The operation was not carried out because of the decision of the US president, and the prime minister did not fight against that decision."
The same official added that there is significant discontent within Mossad, with figures within the agency linking the sackings to Netanyahu's bid for re-election.
A former Mossad official also quoted by Maariv said that Gofman had worked on the plan while working as the prime minister's military secretary, but was now "turning against the plan that he himself supported and promoted".
Criticism was also reported by Israel's Kan public broadcaster, including one who highlighted that the two officials had taken up their roles in the middle of the mission.
The former official said that the two fired were not primary decision makers, adding that he knew of greater failures that did not lead to dismissals.
Netanyahu has portrayed the war as a resounding success, without acknowledging that regime change – which has not materialised – was a key aim.
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