Mossad chief Roman Gofman has fired two senior intelligence officials after a plan to topple Iran’s government failed or was never implemented, according to Israeli broadcaster Channel 12.
The officials were the head of the intelligence directorate, appointed only months ago, and the chief of the agency’s Iran division, the broadcaster said on Thursday. Neither official was identified.
Channel 12 reported the plan was developed in coordination with the US and sought to fuel internal moves against the Iranian government, including support for opposition groups, under broad Israeli-US military air strikes.
The broadcaster, citing assessments, said the plan either failed or never reached the operational stage.
Security sources told Channel 12 that Gofman’s relations with the two officials had been strained from the outset, adding that the dismissals came amid a broader shake-up of Mossad’s leadership and priorities, particularly regarding Iran.
The broadcaster also cited international reports as saying the plan included scenarios for replacing Iran’s leadership and coordination with US officials on a possible “post-regime” phase.
The report said a joint Mossad-CIA plan involved Kurdish militants entering Iran with US-Israeli air support to replace the Iranian government with alternative figures.
The effort stalled at an early stage, however, leading to the proposal being shelved and those responsible being held accountable, according to the broadcaster.
