Axios: The head of the Mossad arrived in Washington amid Netanyahu's attempts to convince Trump to renew the war with Iran.
The head of the Israeli Mossad Roman Goffman, one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest confidants, is in Washington for talks with senior American government officials. This is what Axios reported on November 13, relying on three sources with details.
According to the report, Goffman met with CIA chief John Ratcliffe. He is also expected to visit Miami for talks with the special envoy of the White House, Steve Witkoff.
The visit is taking place against the background of Netanyahu's efforts to convince Donald Trump to renew a large-scale military operation against the Islamic Republic. However, according to an American official, Trump rejects these proposals for now. The last time the US and Israeli leaders discussed the situation around Iran was in a phone call on November 5.
Instead of renewing the war, the US president backed the position of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which support the continuation of the naval blockade and economic pressure on Tehran, while considering the possibility of reaching an agreement.
In an interview on November 12, Trump explained his position: "I could have ended it immediately. But at the request of the countries I seek to protect, we are working in a more prolonged and more civilized way."
According to the US president, Saudi Arabia asked him to maintain the current situation for some time, because according to Trump, Iran is in a state of disintegration. Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also prefer the continuation of the waiting period.
Axios also notes the internal political situation in Israel: after the elections on October 27, Netanyahu lost his parliamentary majority, and his political opponent Gadi Eisenkot received the mandate to form a new government.