Mossad Chief Visits Washington Amid Netanyahu's Pressure on Iran

Mossad Chief Roman Gofman is in Washington for discussions with senior Trump administration officials regarding a potential conflict with Iran. Gofman, considered a close confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is meeting with top U.S. officials on a trip that underscores Netanyahu's ongoing pressure campaign on President Donald Trump to escalate military action against Iran. During his visit, Gofman met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and is expected to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. A source indicated Gofman may also travel to Miami to meet with White House envoy Steve Witkoff. President Trump has so far resisted Netanyahu's calls for renewed military engagement, reportedly favoring the requests of Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, who prefer maintaining the current status quo of economic pressure and sanctions over immediate military action. Trump himself stated on Thursday that while he could "end it immediately," he was pursuing a "longer, and slightly more moderate" approach at the request of allies. Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leaders are concerned that Netanyahu might provoke Iran into an attack or initiate a military strike himself to undermine efforts to form a new government. Netanyahu met with opposition figure the opposition leader for two hours to update him on the Iran situation, with a source close to the opposition leader stating that the current situation does not necessitate immediate military action that cannot wait for a new Israeli government.