Two key figures spearheaded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dramatic decision to launch sweeping strikes on Iran last week, targeting its nuclear facilities, ballistic missile infrastructure, military leadership, scientists and symbols of the regime: Mossad Director David Barnea and Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.
Coordination between the Mossad spy agency’s activities on the ground and the Air Force’s strikes from the sky was “down to the millimeter in terms of complexity,” according to a senior Israeli defense official familiar with the details.
“They built an incredible plan, and we haven’t seen everything yet. The drone and beeper operations might pale in comparison to what may happen,” they said.
Unlike in the past, this time it was Mossad that devised the plan, with the military eagerly jumping in to carry it out.
National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, a longtime advocate for striking Iran, helped push Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to provide backup support, presenting the plans to the security cabinet, which gave them unanimous approval.
The military’s backing marked a stark departure. Since 2007, every IDF chief — including Gabi Ashkenazi, Benny Gantz, and Gadi Eisenkot — opposed attacking Iran, and the idea seemed to fall off the table with the 2015 nuclear deal between the US and Iran.
This time, it was Mossad operations leading the charge, based on a plan that had been put together by Barnea and his colleagues in the spy outfit over a year and a half.
When he took over the role of Mossad head in 2021, Barnea had concentrated on what was referred to as his “biometric revolution,” transforming the agency’s use of cutting-edge technology.
Two key figures spearheaded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dramatic decision to launch sweeping strikes on Iran last week, targeting its nuclear facilities, ballistic missile infrastructure, military leadership, scientists and symbols of the regime: Mossad Director David Barnea and Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.
Coordination between the Mossad spy agency’s activities on the ground and the Air Force’s strikes from the sky was “down to the millimeter in terms of complexity,” according to a senior Israeli defense official familiar with the details.
“They built an incredible plan, and we haven’t seen everything yet. The drone and beeper operations might pale in comparison to what may happen,” they said.
Unlike in the past, this time it was Mossad that devised the plan, with the military eagerly jumping in to carry it out.
National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, a longtime advocate for striking Iran, helped push Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to provide backup support, presenting the plans to the security cabinet, which gave them unanimous approval.
The military’s backing marked a stark departure. Since 2007, every IDF chief — including Gabi Ashkenazi, Benny Gantz, and Gadi Eisenkot — opposed attacking Iran, and the idea seemed to fall off the table with the 2015 nuclear deal between the US and Iran.
This time, it was Mossad operations leading the charge, based on a plan that had been put together by Barnea and his colleagues in the spy outfit over a year and a half.
When he took over the role of Mossad head in 2021, Barnea had concentrated on what was referred to as his “biometric revolution,” transforming the agency’s use of cutting-edge technology.
“Barnea radically changed Mossad,” a senior defense official said. “He flipped the script and reached new heights in the use of technology for things like smart surveillance cameras and facial recognition. It wasn’t easy for him. Mossad is still a conservative organization, and Barnea had to fight many internal battles. In the end, he won, and we are seeing the result on the streets of Iran.
“Barnea is a brilliant operator,” the official added. “He’s thorough, with a different kind of charisma than his predecessor, Yossi Cohen. He’s someone who does the work without seeking headlines, so there’s no chance he’ll give interviews or talk about Mossad operations. Barnea isn’t full of himself. He can change his mind if someone convinces him otherwise. He’s not afraid that people might think he’s weak, unlike some other leaders.”
The 60-year-old approached the Iran issue from a place of basic distrust of the regime and a record of exceptional operational successes in recent years, especially since war broke out on October 7, 2023, with the Hamas-led invasion and massacre in southern Israel...