Mossad chief David Barnea has been reportedly pushing the Israeli leadership to concentrate on attacking Iran as a way to stem attacks from Yemen.
According to the Haaretz newspaper, Barnea raised the option during a series of discussions on the lack of results from three earlier rounds of strikes in Yemen.
The report stated that the Mossad chief believes it would be more effective to go after Iran, which the Israeli officials claim it funds and arms the revolutionary group in Yemen.
“We need to go head-on against Iran,” he told security officials, according to Israeli Channel 13. “If we only attack the Houthis, it’s not certain that we’ll be able to stop them.”
The stance reportedly adopted by Barnea contrasts the opinion of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, who prefer to keep carrying out strikes against Yemen rather than against Iran.
The reports by Haarets and Channel 13 cited unnamed sources with knowledge of the discussions.
Netanyahu, according to Channel 13, disagreed with Barnea’s assessment, and instead surmised that Iran was “a different issue, which will be dealt with at the appropriate time.”
Netanyahu’s estimation was shared by senior members of the security establishment, Channel 13 reported, without providing further details.
Source: Israeli media
