Mossad Chief Gofman Meets CIA Director Ratcliffe in Washington on Iran - US News Pulse

Mossad chief Gofman is in Washington for talks with senior Trump administration officials about the war with Iran, Axios reported on Friday, November 13, 2026, in a visit that puts Israel's spy chief at the centre of Netanyahu's push for the US to return to military action against Tehran.

Gofman met CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Washington on Friday and is expected to travel to Miami to meet White House envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Axios, citing three sources. The Jerusalem Post cited its own sources confirming his arrival.

Key Points

• Mossad Director Roman Gofman is in Washington on Friday, November 13, 2026, for talks with senior Trump officials about the war with Iran, Axios reported, citing three sources.
• Gofman met CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Washington on Friday and is expected to travel to Miami to meet White House envoy Steve Witkoff.
• The visit comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presses President Donald Trump to resume military action against Iran, with Gofman sent as part of that effort.
• The Mossad, the CIA and the White House all declined to comment on the visit.
• The talks come a day after Trump said the United States does not need a deal with Iran and removed Vice President JD Vance from the Iran file.

What Happened

Axios first reported Gofman's arrival on Friday, saying the Mossad chief was in Washington for talks about the war with Iran. The report cited three sources, and The Jerusalem Post separately confirmed the visit, citing its own sources.

Gofman met Ratcliffe in Washington on Friday, according to Axios. He is then expected to travel to Miami to meet Witkoff, President Donald Trump's envoy, who has been at the centre of the administration's diplomacy on the conflict. Gofman took over the Mossad in June 2026.

Background and Context

The war between the United States and Iran began on February 28, 2026, and is now in its ninth month. American forces struck Iran's Qeshm Island on November 3 and again on November 6, and Trump said on November 9 that Iran was "effectively over" militarily, while warning the United States was "locked and loaded".

Netanyahu has pressed Trump to resume strikes for weeks. The Associated Press reported on November 2 that Netanyahu urged Trump in a weekend phone call to launch a new air campaign, and the Financial Times reported on November 10 that the Israeli prime minister has been calling Trump every day to urge him to resume the war. The two leaders discussed the Iran war in a call on November 5, per a US official, and Netanyahu's office denied on Thursday, November 12, reports of a heated phone call between them over Iran.

Vice President JD Vance said on November 2 that the administration had set no deadline for a deal and that he felt "pretty good" about the prospects for a negotiated settlement. Channel 12 reported on November 6 that Netanyahu and Gofman had sought an operation against Iran before Israel's October 27 election, but a tip-off led Washington to quash the plan. The Prime Minister's Office denied the report.

Mossad Chief Gofman in Washington as Netanyahu Presses Trump

The visit matters because of who Gofman is. Netanyahu is not sending a diplomat or a junior official to make his case in Washington; he is sending the head of the Mossad, one of his most trusted aides. That choice signals how seriously Netanyahu takes the moment.

Trump has said the United States does not need a deal with Iran, and he has pulled Vance, the administration's most prominent voice for a negotiated settlement, from the Iran file. The war-or-diplomacy question is open, and Israel wants its view heard at the top. But there is a divide inside Israel: Ynet reported that Israeli defence officials see no immediate need for strikes and favour any future operation alongside the United States, and that Israeli officials believe diplomatic efforts have not yet collapsed.

Reactions and Quotes

The Mossad, the CIA and the White House all declined to comment on Gofman's visit, according to Axios. No details of the discussions with Ratcliffe have been made public, and neither Gofman nor Ratcliffe has spoken publicly about the meeting.

Netanyahu's office denied on Thursday that the prime minister had a heated phone call with Trump over Iran. Israeli defence officials, meanwhile, have made their own position known through Ynet: no immediate need for strikes, any future operation alongside the United States, and a belief that diplomacy has not yet run out of road.

Why It Matters

Gofman's visit shows that the debate over Iran is live at the highest level of the Trump administration. The intelligence chiefs of the two closest allies are now talking directly, at the same time as the president is rethinking who handles the Iran file and saying publicly that no deal is needed.

The stakes are high. The war is in its ninth month, shipping attacks in the Strait of Hormuz hit a record 37 vessel attacks in October, according to Lloyd's List, and on Friday itself US Central Command said American forces had shot down two Iranian drones headed for Bahrain, calling Iran's claim to have destroyed a US radar system false. The same day, the IAEA circulated a report saying Iran told the agency nuclear monitoring cannot resume while it faces US military threats, calling the gap "a matter of proliferation concern".

What Happens Next

The next step is Gofman's expected trip to Miami to meet Witkoff, the envoy who has led the administration's engagement on the conflict. Whether Trump himself meets Gofman has not been reported, and no meeting has been announced.

The question is whether the visit shifts Trump's position. He has swung between saying a deal is "coming together very nicely" and saying no deal is needed, and between warning America is "locked and loaded" and saying strikes seem unlikely. Israeli officials believe diplomacy has not yet collapsed, and Gofman's mission may be as much about keeping the American channel open as it is about pushing for war.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Roman Gofman?
Roman Gofman is the director of the Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence agency, since June 2026 and one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest confidants.

Who did Gofman meet in Washington?
Gofman met CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Washington on Friday, November 13, 2026, according to Axios. He is expected to travel to Miami to meet White House envoy Steve Witkoff.

Why is the Mossad chief in Washington?
Gofman is in Washington for talks with senior Trump administration officials about the war with Iran, as Netanyahu presses Trump to resume military action against Iran.

What does Netanyahu want from Trump?
Netanyahu wants the United States to resume military strikes on Iran, and has pressed Trump repeatedly, including in a weekend call reported on November 2 and, per the Financial Times, in daily calls since.

Has the US decided to resume strikes on Iran?
No. Trump has not committed to new strikes and his administration is split. Vice President JD Vance had favoured a negotiated settlement, but Trump has pulled him from the Iran file and said no deal is needed.