Mossad, CIA directors hold talks in Washington as Netanyahu pushes to restart war on Iran: Report 

The Israeli opposition fears Netanyahu may provoke war with Iran to derail ongoing government formation talks

News Desk

NOV 13, 2026

https://thecradle.co/articles/mossad-cia-directors-hold-talks-in-washington-as-netanyahu-pushes-to-restart-war-on-iran-report

Mossad chief Roman Gofman met CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Washington for talks on a possible resumption of hostilities against Iran, Axios reported on 13 November.

Gofman's visit comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly pressuring US President Donald Trump on a daily basis to restart the war.

According to sources cited by Axios, leaders of the Israeli opposition fear that Netanyahu may order a strike on Iran or provoke Tehran into attacking Israel first to sabotage rival Gadi Eisenkot’s effort to form a new government.

Trump has so far refrained from resuming hostilities, opting instead for a sustained maritime blockade and economic siege to force Tehran to the negotiating table on less favorable terms, a measure preferred by Persian Gulf states.

“I could end it immediately. At the request of the nations that I’m looking to protect, we are doing it a little bit longer way, a little bit more civilly,” Trump said on 12 November. 

Gofman is also expected to travel to Miami for talks with White House envoy Steve Witkoff, according to three sources cited by the outlet. 

Eisenkot said on 13 November that he had met with Netanyahu and his military secretary and had “made it clear that I will not allow a lack of oversight” over the prime minister’s conduct during the transfer of power. 

On Thursday, the US president declared that Washington does not "need a deal with Iran” and pulled Vice President JD Vance out of his role in indirect negotiations to end the war.

“We don’t need a deal with Iran. Those days have long since passed. We’ve got their money, Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and we’ve got their Strait!” Trump declared via social media.

In recent indirect talks, Washington offered only partial naval-blockade relief if Tehran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, without explicitly committing to end the blockade. 

In response, Tehran has insisted that any diplomatic talks will be preceded by the fulfillment of seven conditions, including an end to the war on all fronts, sanctions relief, and the return of frozen assets.

Last week, Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy secretary of the council, said Tehran will no longer accept written US pledges and that Washington must act tangentially on Iran’s demands before any new talks.