THE MOSSAD FILES with Dan Raviv

Épisodes

• Mossad's Tactical Wins, but Does Israel Have an Iran Strategy? Does Trump? CIA Veteran Polymeropoulos 17.07.2026 29min

  Dan examines new information on the Mossad's efforts to recruit a hostile former Iranian president -- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- as an agent for Israel. Mossad veterans have said they make the "impossible" possible. But really? A former head of research in the Mossad, Sima Shine, speaks about the Ahmadinejad caper -- a brief excerpt from The Telegraph's video podcast hosted by Roland Oliphant. Then Dan drills down mow deeply with a 29-year veteran of the CIA -- Marc Polymeropoulos: tr...
• Trump and Iran: War of Words, War of Bombs, War of Cash -- Sanctions Can Bring Down the Regime? 10.07.2026 29min

  After President Trump chose to return to war against Iran -- although not completely forcefully -- Iran's oil sales were again banned by U.S. sanctions. Can harsh sanctions bring down the radical regime in Tehran? When the Memorandum of Understanding that Trump's negotiators created with Iran permitted oil sales for 60 days -- and pronounced a ceasefire that hasn't totally held -- how many billions of dollars would that have given to Iran? Dan speaks with Max Meizlish about that. He's a resea...
• Crisis in Israel-U.S. Relations, as Trump Woos Iran: Yossi Melman, Michael Oren, Mike Singh... 05.07.2026 29min

  Dan's joined by his co-author on six books about Israel -- journalist and filmmaker Yossi Melman -- who's been writing about a serious rift in relations between Israel and the United States. The reason? Donald Trump is wooing Iran. Also heard in this episode of The Mossad Files: former Israeli ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren; and former U.S. officials on a Carnegie Connects online discussion -- Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Mike Singh...
• Democratic Party and Israel: Crisis for Public Diplomacy, Plus the Lebanon Deal 27.06.2026 29min

  Dan's guest is Joel Rubin, author of "Saving Democratic Foreign Policy: How Democrats Can Earn the American People's Trust to Lead the World Once Again." Rubin was a State Department official in the Obama Administration and has a Substack, "The Briefing Book." He argues that Israel could be doing a much better job of explaining its policy goals -- its vision of how the Middle East could be better -- instead of simply defending the justice of making war on eight fronts since Oct. 7, 2023. We a...
• Mossad Will Return to Covert War in Iran -- Yossi Melman, Plus Yaakov Katz on U.S. Military Aid Fadeout 20.06.2026 29min

  Dan examines the widely held belief that President Trump's deal with Iran -- the Memorandum of Understanding -- was bad for Israel, and therefore the country's spy agency, the Mossad, will surely go back to covert war inside Iran. This time, the Israelis expect to be alone. Clearly the U.S. and Israel did not achieve their goals in the war that they launched on February 28. Yossi Melman -- Dan Raviv's co-author on six Middle East books -- helps analyze what may happen next. ...
• Iran War a Failure? A Disaster? Dennis Ross and Israeli analyst Citrinowicz Weigh In with Dan 11.06.2026 29min

  The war against Iran may be entering a new phase -- and some may call it peace. But many serious analysts in the United States and Israel call it a failure, or even "a disaster" for Israeli interests. Dennis Ross, longtime Middle East mediator for American presidents, offers hope that pressure will build for positive change in Tehran -- but, as author of "Statecraft 2.0" he suggests that good principles of statecraft have not been followed by President Trump. Where are the clear objectives an...
• New Mossad Spy Chief, and Yaakov Katz on Trump-Netanyahu Tensions 05.06.2026 29min

  Dan's guest is Yaakov Katz -- author of books on Israeli defense including "While Israel Slept" (on the failures of Oct. 7, 2023) and former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post. They discuss the new director of the Mossad spy agency, General Roman Gofman -- controversial in part for alleged failure to support a young Israeli operative in a secret operation. Gofman is a Benjamin Netanyahu loyalist, so will he stand up against some plots proposed by political leaders, as other Mossad ch...
• Mossad Wanted to Help a Coup by Ahmadinejad? Really? 30.05.2026 29min

  Dan gets an assist from his longtime writing partner, Yossi Melman, in analyzing the reported plot by the Mossad -- apparently with U.S. participation -- to free Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from house arrest in Tehran, and help him take power in Iran. That coup, toppling the current Islamic Republic of Iran regime, would be headed by a former president who publicly hated Israel and the U.S. and denied the Holocaust. As you'll hear Yossi Melman says the idea was "ludicrous." Dan then turns to Ashriel ...
• Trump's "Personal Grudge" Vs. Iran, "Natural Partner" with Netanyahu -- Israeli Strategist Tells Us 19.05.2026 29min

  Dan's guest is Professor Eitan Shamir -- who had senior roles in Israel's Defense Ministry and Strategic Affairs Ministry. He is now head of the BESA Center at Bar-Ilan University. Shamir says, about Israel having to accept Donald Trump's decisions and timetable: "When you have a senior partner, there's a cost!" Is it reasonable to believe that Benjamin Netanyahu forced Trump into attacking Iran? And if Trump doesn't analyze complicated issues the way a strategic-affairs professor would, do y...
• Strategic Worries for Israel Include U.S. Politics -- Jonathan Tobin Explains 14.05.2026 29min

  Dan's guest is Jonathan Tobin, the prolific Editor-in-Chief of JNS -- Jewish News Syndicate. In American politics, there's no doubt that Tobin is on the Right side of the spectrum. His analysis is clear and strong, as it increasingly emerges that Israel has a problem: a sharp decline in popularity and support in the United States. Tobin argues, as many do, that the unpopularity is mostly found on the Left. Enjoy the vibrant discussion and intelligent conversation. This is the 67th weekly epis...
• Who's In Charge in Iran? And Will They Fall? Behnam Ben Taleblu Tells Us... 08.05.2026 29min

  Who's in charge in Iran? Who's left, after U.S. and Israeli air strikes killed top leaders? Is there really a chance that the Islamic Republic regime will fall? Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at FDD (Foundation for the Defense of Deocracies) and senior director of that think tank's Iran Program, answers Dan's questions -- and sheds light on how Iran's hardline regime seems to be standing up to U.S. pressure. This episode also features Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, insisti...
• Mossad's Annual Awards, Hear the Outgoing Director, plus Iran and Lebanon Experts 02.05.2026 29min

  Dan plays audio clips from the annual Ceremony of Commendations at Mossad headquarters near Tel Aviv, where spymaster David "Dedi" Barnea -- whose 5-year term as Director of the Mossad ends next month -- delivered hint after hint of what the spy agency has been doing in Iran and Lebanon. We then hear Elliott Abrams, longtime U.S. official in Republican administrations, analyzing the mysteries of war and peace in Iran -- including Donald Trump's communications flaws. Mr. Abrams, now at t...
• Mossad Says Prepared for More War in Iran -- and Historian Marc Schulman on Constant Crises 24.04.2026 29min

  As Israel celebrated its 78th birthday, Independence Day was preceded -- as every year -- by a somber Memorial Day in tribute to IDF soldiers killed in action and to victims of terrorism. Among the many speeches -- heard, in part, on this Mossad Files episode -- were strong statements by Mossad director David (Dedi) Barnea and his predecessor at the spy agency, Yossi Cohen. Israel's spymasters are pointing at more warfare expected, in Iran. Dan's guest is Marc Schulman, an American-bor...