Mossad Chief Gofman in Washington for Iran Talks as Trump Holds Off on Renewed Strikes

Nine months after the U.S. and Israel first struck Iran in February, and one day after Trump said America doesn't need an Iran deal, Israel's spy chief has flown to Washington to argue for going back to war.

Mossad director Roman Gofman, a close Netanyahu confidant, is meeting CIA Director John Ratcliffe today, Nov. 13, according to Axios, which cited three people familiar with the visit. He is then expected to travel to Miami for talks with White House envoy Steve Witkoff. Mossad, the CIA and the White House declined to comment.

Trump's middle path

Trump has not given Netanyahu what he wants. He has kept up the naval blockade of Iranian ports, which has been expanded to cover land routes, and he has leaned on economic pressure while leaving a deal technically possible.

After meeting Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Trump said: "We're just keeping it at the status quo." On Thursday he said he could end the conflict immediately but was extending the current approach at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which prefer that Washington keep the pressure on.

Trump also directed Vice President J.D. Vance, who had led the negotiations, to shift his focus to domestic issues. Bloomberg reported that Trump increasingly sees the setup as a chance to "leave the conflict in limbo and walk away."

Netanyahu's pressure

Netanyahu told the Knesset on Tuesday that the nuclear threat cannot be permanently eliminated without the fall of the Iranian regime. The Financial Times has reported that he has been calling Trump "every day" to press for renewed strikes.

The Israeli outlet Ynet, citing sources, reported that a weekend call between the two men turned into what one source called a "shouting match from hell." Netanyahu's office denied it on Thursday, calling the claim "fake news" and "complete nonsense." Ynet also quoted a senior Israeli official who confirmed the call took place but insisted it was "very much not a difficult conversation."

Axios cited a U.S. official saying Trump and Netanyahu discussed the conflict by phone on Nov. 5.

Israel's political crisis

Gofman arrives while Netanyahu's own position is shaky. He lost his parliamentary majority in the Oct. 27 election. Hindustan Times reports his Likud-led bloc is set to win 53 of 120 Knesset seats, short of the 61 needed. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot has been given the mandate to try to form a government.

Axios reported that opposition figures fear Netanyahu could order new strikes on Iran, or provoke an Iranian response, to disrupt Eisenkot's efforts and stay in power. Netanyahu met Eisenkot on Thursday and briefed him on developments involving Iran. A source close to Eisenkot told Axios that Eisenkot does not believe the current situation demands immediate military action. In a statement on Friday, Eisenkot said he had made clear that he would not allow a lack of oversight of the outgoing government's actions during the transition, adding: "Israel's security takes precedence over every other consideration and must never be used as a means of political capital." No source in the reporting says Netanyahu has made such a move or intends to.

The military option is on the shelf

A new round of fighting would not be improvised. CNN reported, citing two U.S. officials, that American forces in the region could launch major operations "within 96 hours of receiving" an order from Trump. The officials said enough forces are already deployed.

The target list drawn up by Central Command and the Pentagon reportedly includes Iranian energy infrastructure, military sites and nuclear facilities. "It will be a big effort," one official told CNN. The officials also cautioned that Trump has leaned toward action before and backed off at the last moment. A senior Pentagon official said the department "is a planning organization, and its job is to develop and execute military options ordered by the President."

CNN's sources said Iran and the Houthis would likely retaliate immediately against American personnel and facilities if struck first. An unclassified Oct. 23 memo from Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio said "Iran has substantially increased efforts to target US personnel," with plots at "advanced stages" in the Middle East and other countries.

Oil and gasoline

Markets are betting on restraint for now. Brent crude opened at $95.84 on Friday and is on track for a second straight weekly decline as traders see diminished odds of another round of war, according to The American Conservative. The average U.S. price of regular gasoline is $3.87 per gallon, still falling.

Brent at nearly $96 is still elevated. A renewed strike campaign would put that decline at risk.

What comes next

Neither the White House nor Mossad has said what Gofman is asking for or what he will get. The next signals are his Miami session with Witkoff, whose date has not been given, and whether Trump's "status quo" language changes. Eisenkot's attempt to build a coalition and the pressure from the Gulf states Trump cited on Thursday will shape whether Netanyahu's push gets traction.