AMU Homeland Security Intelligence Middle East Opinion

Israel Scaling Back Covert Operations in Iran

By William Tucker

A recent report in Time magazine claims that Israel has scaled back covert efforts to undermine Iran’s nuclear program. The article quotes unnamed senior Israeli officials as the source for the story, then claims that the decision has caused increasing dissatisfaction within Mossad. Whether or not this story is accurate is difficult to verify, but it is certainly possible. Israel is a small nation with limited resources and the possibility of losing at least some of these minimal resources fighting one threat is a very real strategic concern. The changes in Egypt and the chaos in Syria is beginning to change the strategic environment that Israel has existed in for sometime leaving the political leadership with some difficult choices to make. In fact, Time does draw reference to one official expressing exactly that. We must also consider that Israel may feel somewhat comfortable with the knowledge that their actions have set back Iranian efforts to further enrich uranium by an estimated two years.

The U.S. may have played a role in this decision as well. Recent leaks to the press about the administrations concern that Israel may launch an attack on Iran are an indication that the two nations are not on the same page. Although an Israeli attack on Iran is a remote possibility at best, Washington may have applied pressure through these press leaks as a way to force Israel to clarify its intent. Recent remarks made by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak stating that an attack is not imminent, nor can Israel wait indefinitely certainly lend credence to this. That being said, both the U.S. and Israel are sovereign nations pursuing their own self interest and neither one would like to see a nuclear Iran. How these two nations pursue that end will not always be in concert, however.

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