November 15, 2026
An Israeli security division over striking Iran and Washington’s sensitivity govern the options
Israeli media reports revealed a clear discrepancy in the security establishment’s assessments regarding the necessity of launching a new military strike against Iran, amid reservations about any immediate action in light of the sensitivity of relations with the American administration and the absence of a new Israeli government.
In this context, Israeli Channel 12 reported that the defense establishment does not see an urgent justification for launching an attack on Tehran. It quoted sources as saying that the prevailing assessment confirms that Iran is seeking to rebuild its capabilities, but it has not yet approached the Israeli “red lines.”
On the other hand, a different position has emerged within the Directorate of Military Intelligence, “Aman,” which disagrees with this assessment and supports action against Tehran, which reflects an internal disagreement about the timing and necessity of military action.
This reluctance to take immediate action is related to the nature of relations with the United States. The channel quoted informed sources that the administration of President Donald Trump will not tolerate “attempts by Israeli parties to provide it with unreliable information.”
These developments come against the backdrop of a visit by Mossad Director Roman Goffman to Washington late last week, coinciding with the efforts of caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push the American president towards escalating the conflict in the Middle East. Goffman’s visit included a meeting with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, then he went to Miami to meet with the US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
In a related context, the Israeli “Ynet” website reported that the head of the Yashar Party and Prime Minister-designate Gadi Eisenkot, who has the mandate to form the government coalition, were not informed of the Mossad director’s trip to Washington, despite a political and security briefing with Netanyahu last Thursday.
These data reflect the extent of the division within the Israeli security services regarding the Iranian issue, in parallel with the intense contacts with Washington, at a time when the issue of forming the government has not been resolved amid tensions between advocates of military escalation and movements adhering to waiting.
