New Mossad chief fires 2 officials after failed Iran regime-change plan: Report

Israel's newly appointed Mossad director, Roman Gofman, has reportedly removed two senior intelligence officials. Both played central roles in drafting a plan to topple Iran's Islamic Republic. According to Israel's Channel 12, the officials were closely associated with a strategy that envisioned triggering an internal uprising in Iran with support from Kurdish groups and other minorities, ultimately paving the way for regime change in Tehran. The report said the proposal was discussed at the highest levels of the Israeli government but was never implemented.

The reported leadership changes come at a time when the covert battle between Israel and Iran continues to intensify. Tehran has meanwhile announced fresh arrests of people it alleges were linked to Mossad. However, the departures were made by mutual agreement as part of a broader restructuring inside Mossad rather than a disciplinary action. Both officials are expected to continue serving within the agency in different roles.

REPORTED PLAN ENVISIONED KURDISH UPRISING

The proposed operation centred on Iran's Kurdish region near the Iraqi border. The strategy reportedly called for Israeli strikes against positions belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), creating an opening for Kurdish fighters to move into Iranian territory.

The planners believed thousands of young Kurds would join the operation, turning it into a wider uprising across northwestern Iran. The proposal also assumed that the momentum would spread nationwide, prompting millions of Iranians to take to the streets and ultimately bring down the government in Tehran. The Kurdish operation formed one of the central pillars of the reported regime-change strategy.

The report also claimed the plan envisioned former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad eventually taking charge of the country after the collapse of the current leadership. The allegation follows a report published last month by The New York Times, which said Israel had pursued a years-long effort to recruit Ahmadinejad as part of a post-regime transition strategy.

According to the newspaper, Ahmadinejad and then-Mossad chief David Barnea reportedly met on the sidelines of an academic conference in Hungary as part of those efforts.

Neither Israel nor Ahmadinejad has confirmed the claims.

PLAN FAILED TO GAIN MOMENTUM

Israel and the United States launched extensive strikes at the beginning of the conflict targeting Iranian military installations, missile systems, security facilities and Basij bases in northwestern Iran in an effort to support the proposed Kurdish advance.

The strategy ultimately fell apart after details of the operation were leaked, Kurdish groups expressed reservations, and Turkey opposed the proposal. The report also said US officials later advised President Donald Trump that Israeli assessments predicting the imminent collapse of Iran's government were overly optimistic.

IRAN ANNOUNCES ALLEGED MOSSAD ARRESTS

The shake-up at Mossad coincided with a fresh announcement from Tehran claiming another crackdown on alleged Israeli intelligence networks. Iran's Ministry of Intelligence said it had arrested 21 people accused of collecting information on sensitive military and air defence sites for Mossad in Kerman Province. According to Iran's Mizan news agency, four additional armed suspects were also detained during separate operations, while weapons and ammunition were seized.

The ministry did not disclose the identities of those arrested or provide evidence supporting the allegations. It also announced the seizure of additional firearms linked to suspects previously detained over what it described as the "Dey 1404 coup", referring to anti-establishment protests that erupted earlier this year.

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