MOSSAD SHAKEUP: New Chief Fires Deputy Director Days After Taking Command

Tel Aviv | June 7, 2026
Israel’s feared intelligence agency Mossad is undergoing a dramatic internal overhaul. Newly appointed Mossad Director Roman Gofman has dismissed the agency’s Deputy Director just days after assuming command — a move widely seen as a sweeping accountability measure following a high-profile operational failure.
The dismissed official, identified only by the initial ‘A’ in an official statement, had been tasked with overseeing a covert operation aimed at orchestrating a regime change in Iran. The mission reportedly deployed hundreds of intelligence operatives and consumed over one billion shekels in resources — yet failed to achieve its objectives. Israeli leadership declared the results “unsatisfactory and unacceptable.”
The firings don’t stop there. The head of Mossad’s International Relations Branch had already resigned abruptly before Gofman’s purge, signaling that the shakeup runs deep within the organization.
‘A’ had been widely regarded as the frontrunner to succeed former Mossad chief David Barnea, who had personally backed ‘A’ as his preferred successor and reportedly opposed Gofman’s appointment. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu overrode that preference, naming Gofman — his former military secretary — to lead the agency.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Gofman intends to appoint a new deputy from within Mossad’s own ranks, saying the move is part of “building a senior leadership team that will work alongside him in meeting the organization’s goals and challenges in the years ahead.”
No replacement has been named yet. The identity of the dismissed deputy remains officially undisclosed.