David Barnea shares Mossad role in Nasrallah assassination, Iran war details

Key Points:

• David Barnea completed a transformative five-year term as Mossad chief, expanding the agency’s capabilities to conduct multiple simultaneous operations influencing Middle Eastern conflicts, including the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in 2024.
• The killing of Nasrallah involved Lebanese Mossad agents who risked moving through active IDF bombing zones to plant devices, showcasing the agency’s reliance on local operatives and meticulous intelligence over a decade.
• Israel planned to use Kurdish forces against Iran’s Islamic regime in 2026 with U.S. support, including aerial cover and weapons; however, the operation was vetoed by then-President Donald Trump, reportedly influenced by Turkish President Erdogan and internal U.S. officials.
• Barnea believes regime change in Iran could take over a year after a war, contingent on sustained U.S. pressure; the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei resulted in his son Mojtaba assuming control, according to Israeli intelligence.
• Mossad’s planned large-scale ground operation to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program was canceled due to feasibility concerns, resource constraints, and reliance on local Iranian agents, leading to reliance on IDF aerial strikes instead; Barnea supports the new Mossad chief Roman Gofman despite initial opposition.