Roman Gofman was sworn in as the new director of the Mossad intelligence agency on Tuesday, marking an end to the lengthy legal challenges he faced since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his nomination in December 2025.

His swearing-in ceremony in Jerusalem came a day after the High Court of Justice rejected petitions seeking to annul his appointment and allegations that he acted in a manner that violated the required standards of ethical conduct for senior state officials.

Gofman is the 14th director of Mossad, and replaces outgoing chief David Barnea. Prior to his appointment, he was Netanyahu’s military secretary.

Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, Netanyahu praised Gofman’s ability to “overcome all obstacles,” in an apparent reference to the legal challenges to his appointment, and outlined his mission as the head of the intelligence agency: continuing the fight against the threat of the Iranian regime.

“This regime of terror, whose fate is to pass from the world — and we will help it reach that destination — will not again threaten us with nuclear bombs and thousands of deadly ballistic missiles,” Netanyahu said, reiterating similar remarks he gave at Monday night’s farewell ceremony for Barnea.

“That is my directive,” he said, “that is your mission, Roman.”

Continuing, Netanyahu vowed that “The Mossad will continue to stand at the forefront of our struggle against Iranian aggression… In accordance with the consistent policy we have pursued for years, we will not allow the Iranian regime to turn back the clock. We will not allow it to obtain nuclear weapons, and we will not allow it to threaten our existence.”

At a ceremony for Barnea the night before, Netanyahu had declared that “the foundations” of the Iranian regime “have cracked,” leaving it “doomed to fall.”

“The price that Iran has already paid is very heavy. The foundations of this regime of terror in Iran have cracked. It will never return to what it once was, and I tell you — it is doomed to fall,” the........

© The Times of Israel