Majority of senior IDF and Mossad officials think Iran deal is insufficient for Israel’s security

Many within the defense establishment also favored maintaining stringent economic pressure on Iran rather than releasing frozen assets.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Senior IDF and Mossad officials voiced strong opposition to the emerging US-Iran agreement, arguing that it fails to capitalize on a rare opportunity to significantly weaken Iran and its regional influence.

According to The Jerusalem Post, opposition to the framework is widespread among Israel’s top military and intelligence leadership.

Security officials were particularly frustrated that the proposed arrangement does not address Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal or its network of terrorist proxies across the Middle East, issues they view as central components of the threat posed by Tehran.

Many within the defense establishment also favored maintaining stringent economic pressure on Iran rather than releasing frozen assets.

Some officials argued that continued sanctions could further destabilize the regime and potentially lead to its collapse.

A number of Mossad officials, along with a smaller group of IDF officers, reportedly assessed that the Iranian government could fall within a year if financial pressure is sustained.

They pointed to the more than $300 billion in damage and economic losses Iran has suffered from military strikes, as well as ongoing losses linked to the US counter-blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Military leaders also expressed concern that provisions related to Lebanon in the US-Iran framework could limit Israel’s future ability to act against Hezbollah.

Despite the criticism from within the security establishment and separate attacks on the deal by opposition leader Yair Lapid, Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted that Israel would retain operational freedom.

He said the agreement would not prevent Israeli action and reiterated that the IDF would remain in security zones in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary.