Israel intelligence chief outlines next steps on Iran
Mossad chief David Barnea (Photo: from open sources)
The Israeli intelligence agency (Mossad) will intensify efforts to overthrow the Iranian regime, despite parallel US and Tehran efforts to reach a peace agreement, states Mossad chief David Barnea.
Goal not yet achieved
According to Barnea, Israel did not expect that its joint bombings with the US of Iranian targets would put an end to the 47-year-old clerical regime. However, Israel does not intend to stop there and awaits a complete change of power in Iran.
"Our mission has yet to be completed," he said in his speech on Tuesday.
"Our obligation will be discharged only after this extremist regime is replaced. This regime, which seeks our destruction, must pass from the world," the Mossad chief added.
At the same time, he did not specify what Israeli intelligence might do. The publication notes that although Tel Aviv has conducted covert operations in Iran for years, the Mossad rarely openly states that it seeks regime change.
Bloomberg writes that Barnea's comments indicate that the Israelis still see a serious threat from Iran, despite the damage inflicted on its military potential by nearly five weeks of a campaign jointly with the US.
Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said days ago that the airstrikes on Iran had eliminated two existential threats – ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
Such a statement by the Mossad chief could increase tension between US and Iranian officials who are seeking to extend the already achieved ceasefire and reach an agreement.
Mossad hoped to overthrow the Iranian regime through unrest
The head of Israeli intelligence, David Barnea, is set to retire in June. Last week, The New York Times reported that during closed-door talks at the White House in January, he suggested that his agency could energize the Iranian opposition, triggering unrest and other acts of insurrection that could even lead to the collapse of the Iranian government.
Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the US add a participant in those White House talks, said that an internal revolution in Iran is still possible.
"The Mossad thought that, as we saw in January — hundreds of thousands and millions of people rise up — the potential for that happening again is even greater now," Leiter told CBS News on Sunday.
"We still think we could – that could materialize over the next couple of months. But there’s no guarantee," he noted.
Situation in the Middle East
Days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the campaign against Iran is ongoing, but Tel Aviv already has historic achievements in countering the Iranian threat.
Meanwhile, the US, which together with Israel launched the operation in Iran, is in a ceasefire with Tehran, trying to reach an agreement through negotiations.
The first round of US-Iran talks took place days ago in Pakistan, but the parties did not reach an agreement – Tehran has no intention of abandoning its nuclear program, which is the main stumbling block.
In addition, Israel agreed to negotiations with Lebanon to stop attacks on Hezbollah, which Washington had insisted on.
