Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency is in Washington for talks with senior Trump administration officials as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushes US President Donald Trump to consider resuming military action against Iran, Axios reported, citing three people familiar with the matter.
Mossad director Roman Gofman, who is one of Netanyahu’s closest confidants, is expected to meet CIA Director John Ratcliffe during his visit, according to the report. He is also expected to travel to Miami for talks with White House envoy Steve Witkoff. Neither Mossad, the CIA nor the White House confirmed the reported meetings.
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Gofman’s visit comes at a sensitive moment in the Iran conflict, with a growing divide between the Israeli government and Washington over what should happen next. Trump has so far resisted Netanyahu’s reported push to return to combat. The two leaders discussed the Iran war during a November 5 phone call, according to a US official.
Instead, Trump has backed continued economic and naval pressure on Tehran while leaving the door open to a possible agreement. The approach has also received support from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Trump said on Thursday that the US could end the confrontation immediately but was choosing a more gradual approach.
“I could end it immediately. At the request of the nations that I’m looking to protect, we are doing it a little bit longer way, a little bit more civilly,” Trump said. He added that several Gulf states wanted the current pressure campaign to continue.
“Saudi Arabia has asked me to please just let it be the way it is now for a while, because (Iran) is disintegrating. Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, all of them would much prefer the waiting period,” he said.
That puts Trump at odds with Netanyahu, who has reportedly been calling the US president “every day” to push for renewed strikes on Tehran, the Financial Times reported.
NETANYAHU PUSHES FOR A RETURN TO POWER
The Iran dispute is also unfolding against a crisis in Israel. Netanyahu has lost his majority in parliament following the October 27 election, while his rival Gadi Eisenkot has received a mandate to try to form a new government. Whether Eisenkot can assemble the required coalition remains uncertain.
The power struggle has added complication to Netanyahu’s Iran strategy. Israeli opposition leaders fear Netanyahu could order a new attack on Iran or provoke Tehran into striking Israel in an attempt to disrupt Eisenkot’s efforts to form a government, according to sources cited in the Axios report.
If Eisenkot succeeds, Netanyahu would lose power.
Netanyahu met Eisenkot for two hours on Thursday and briefed him on the situation involving Iran. A source close to Eisenkot said the former military chief does not believe the circumstances currently justify immediate military action against Tehran. Eisenkot also issued a warning on Friday, saying he would closely scrutinise Netanyahu’s actions during the transition.
“I made it clear that I will not allow a lack of oversight” of the prime minister’s actions during the government transition, Eisenkot said.
“For me, Israel’s security takes precedence over every other consideration and must never be used as a means of political capital. This is also what I expect of all officeholders,” he added.
The reported Mossad visit follows claims of growing friction between Trump and Netanyahu over Iran. Israeli media outlet Ynet reported that a weekend phone call between the two leaders, largely focused on Iran, became unusually tense. One source described it as a “shouting match from hell”.
A senior Israeli official reportedly confirmed that the call took place but disputed the characterisation, saying it was “very much not a difficult conversation”. Netanyahu’s office rejected the report as a baseless claim.
TRUMP WANTS TO MAINTAIN STATUS QUO
Washington appears to be softening its position on another round of attacks after humilating deafeat in US midterm polls.
Trump has recently pointed to “positive momentum” in negotiations with Iran and signalled that he is prepared to hold off on fresh strikes. His position shifted after a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, with Qatar among the countries involved in mediation efforts.
“We’re just keeping it at the status quo,” Trump said after meeting the Qatari prime minister.
That position marks a significant contrast with Netanyahu’s reported demand for renewed military action. The conflict has remained in a de facto stalemate for months. US and Israeli strikes in February were followed by Iranian retaliatory attacks against American bases and interests across Gulf countries.
The political stakes are high on both sides.
Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc is expected to win 53 of the 120 seats in Israel’s Knesset but remains short of the 61-seat threshold needed for a majority. In the US, Trump’s Republican Party has also suffered a major setback after losing control of Congress in the November midterm elections.
Against that backdrop, Gofman’s meetings in Washington could offer an important indication of how far Israel can persuade the Trump administration to change course on Iran and whether Netanyahu can still secure US backing for another military escalation.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
