Mossad Chief in Washington Amid Israeli Push for War on Iran

The head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, Roman Gofman, arrived in Washington on Friday for talks with senior officials in President Donald Trump's administration concerning a potential war with Iran. Gofman's visit, described as being close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comes as Netanyahu is pressuring Trump to resume hostilities against Iran. According to three informed sources, Gofman is scheduled to meet with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and is also expected to travel to Miami to meet with US Envoy Steve Witkoff. US and Israeli officials confirmed that Gofman would meet with Ratcliffe, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Witkoff, as reported by "Walla" news. The US news site "Axios" reported that Trump has so far rejected Netanyahu's pressure to restart the war against Iran. An American official stated that the issue of war with Iran was discussed during a phone call on November 5. President Trump has continued to pursue a strategy of naval blockade and economic pressure on Iran, while leaving open the possibility of reaching an agreement. Trump said on Thursday that while he could "end it immediately," he was following a "longer, more civilized approach" at the request of countries he is protecting. He added that Saudi Arabia had asked him to maintain the current situation for a while because "Iran is in a state of disintegration," and that Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain also preferred a waiting period. Gofman's visit to Washington follows a security briefing between Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot, the head of the "Yachad" party tasked with forming a new Israeli government. A source close to Eisenkot indicated that he does not see a current need for immediate military action against Iran. Meanwhile, leaders of opposition parties in Israel are expressing concern that Netanyahu might attempt to provoke an attack on Iran or an Iranian attack on Israel, potentially to undermine Eisenkot's government formation efforts.