Mossad Sources Call Removals Over Shelved Iran Plan a Political Blame Shift

Mossad chief Roman Gofman has ended the tenures of the agency's intelligence directorate head and its Iran division head, both of whom helped draft an operational plan to topple the Iranian regime that was never carried out. Sources inside the Mossad said the removals were meant to shift responsibility for that failure onto the two officers, called the decision cowardly and described deep turmoil in the agency. Those sources linked the timing to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political interests before the October election. Security officials said the departures were agreed and part of a wider reorganization at the Mossad.