Mossad chief arrives in Washington amid Netanyahu's pressure on Trump over Iran

Mossad chief's visit to Washington

The director of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, Roman Gofman, was in Washington on Friday for talks with senior officials of the Trump administration about the war with Iran. Axios reported this, citing three sources familiar with the situation. The visit included a meeting with CIA Director John Ratcliffe; in addition, Gofman is expected to travel to Miami for talks with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff. Mossad, the CIA and the White House declined to comment, Axios notes.

Context: Israel's pressure and Trump's position

The visit comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing President Donald Trump to resume the war against Iran, Axios writes. The day before, on Thursday, Trump said in an interview with Salem News Channel that he would not hesitate to use military force against Iran if US allies or ships were under threat: 'No hesitation. Things are going very well for us right now. But if I see the situation moving in the wrong direction, I would do it, and maybe I'll do it right now.'

Background of the conflict

The US and Israel began the war against Iran on February 28; Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes on Israel and targets in the Persian Gulf region, where American military bases are located, and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz — a key route for global energy supplies. A memorandum of understanding signed in June was supposed to pave the way to a final peace agreement, but the process collapsed over disagreements, including on the issue of shipping through the strait. Thus, Gofman's talks in the US are taking place against the backdrop of an unresolved conflict, in which the peace process has stalled and military tension persists.