Former head of Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad, Efraim Halevy, says he does not believe a quick military end to the conflict with Iran is possible. Despite Donald Trump’s assertion that the war could soon conclude, Halevy told “Focus” that the United States will not retreat from Israel’s side. He added that the current relationship between the U.S. president and the Israeli prime minister is perhaps closer than ever, making a fundamental divergence unlikely right now, though Israel could theoretically continue the fight alone.
Halevy argues that the long‑term solution to the Israel‑Iran dispute will be political, not military. He believes this conclusion is drawn more from long‑term geopolitical patterns than from current realities. Historically, Israel and Iran have not always been adversaries. He recalled the close ties between the two countries during the Shah’s era, even describing a sort of security triangle that included Turkey. During that time, the Mossad laid the groundwork for its successful operations against Iran’s regime in recent years by forging many contacts that helped build its hidden network across the region.
The former intelligence chief predicts a larger role for the United States in the Middle East. “As long as Trump is in office, I see this as likely” Halevy said. “If the U.S. were to become the decisive political force in Iran, an interesting situation would emerge: Israel as a close partner of the United States on one side and a large country such as Iran, with around 80 million inhabitants, on the other. This would give the U.S. considerable influence throughout the region”.
Halevy led the Mossad from 1998 to 2002. Before that, he had worked as a jurist on the peace treaty signed between Israel and Jordan in 1994.