Ex-top Mossad official: Barnea led agency to unprecedented operational reach - interview

Lead

David Barnea's five-year term as head of the Mossad has come to an end, marked by a retirement ceremony in which he reiterated the agency's primary mission: preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and pursuing a change in the Islamic regime. Speaking at the ceremony late Monday, Barnea said that Iran, at its weakest and most challenged point, should be the focus of completing the job, calling for persistence, a cool head, and commitment to the mission.

Coverage Comparison

The Jerusalem Post provided the sole coverage of the story, with three separate articles offering different angles. The first article centered on Barnea's call for regime change, quoting his retirement speech. The second focused on an interview with Ilan Rom, a former top Mossad official, detailing the structure and capabilities of the Mossad under Barnea. The third highlighted Barnea's transformation of the agency, including its role in significant operations such as the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah.

Key Claims

A Transformative Leadership

According to Ul-Rom, who served in the Mossad for around 25 years and finished with a rank equivalent to brigadier general, was the architect of Barnea's "revolution" that reshaped the organization. Rom explained that before him, the Mossad could carry out only one or two major operations at a time, each taking many years. With the new structure, the agency could execute "dozens of operations at the same time," as was the case during Operation Rising Lion, which was carried out in June 2025.

Rom attributed Barnea's success to his ability to get out of every subordinate and agent more than they thought possible, leading by example, and building an organization that supports intensive activity. Though some division chiefs initially opposed these changes, fearing lower standards and blown operations, Rom said that Barnea proved he was right and his opponents wrong.

Assassination of Hassan Nasrallah

The Jerusalem Post reported that local Lebanese Mossad agents played a crucial role in the assassination of Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, on September 27, 2024. According to the report, dozens of F-15I aircraft struck Hezbollah's underground headquarters in Beirut's Dahiya stronghold with 85 bombs, killing Nasrallah and approximately 20 other commanders. A decade of intelligence collection by the IDF and the Mossad, including from Iranians working with Hezbollah, was instrumental in the operation. The Post further reveals that, similar to operations in Iran, many of the agents on the ground were Lebanese locals working for Israel.

Iranian Missions and More

The reports also mention the Mossad's involvement in Iran, including a sabotage operation in June 2025 and the exploding beeper attacks. However, a major operation to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities was reportedly canceled, and the US is said to have vetoed a Kurdish operation against the regime. These claims, however, come from a single source and are not independently verified.

Future of the Mossad

The leadership transition also brings attention to the next steps. The Jerusalem Post reports that Barnea is opposed to Roman Gofman as the next Mossad chief due to Gofman's actions in the "Elkamayes Affair," though Barnea is said to believe Gofman could have succeeded if he had used the good people who know their roles in the agency. This claim is also from a single source.