David Barnea, the head of the Israeli Mossad, attends an honor guard ceremony for Israel’s incoming military chief Herzi Halevi at Israel’s Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 16, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

The outgoing head of Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad declared in his retirement ceremony on Monday that toppling Iran’s regime remains an “achievable goal” for Israel, urging the Jewish state to remain committed to the effort at a time when the Islamic Republic is weaker than ever.

David Barnea doubled down on warnings about Iran’s nuclear program, reviving calls to make the overthrow of the Iranian regime a central mission of the Mossad.

“I promised Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon. Today, as the Iranian regime stands at its weakest, most battered, and most challenged moment, this is the time to finish the job and exact a price from a regime that has inscribed our destruction on its flag. We are at the peak of a historic and decisive campaign,” the intelligence chief said in his remarks.

“I continue to believe that regime change in Iran is both a possible and achievable goal. This is a realistic objective that will require persistence, a steady hand, and full commitment to the mission,” Barnea continued. “It is our obligation to future generations, and it must remain our top priority.”

Alongside senior security officials and political leaders, Barnea formally concluded his five-year tenure at a ceremony held at Mossad headquarters, handing command of the agency over to Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also attended the ceremony, praised the Mossad as the “beacon of human strength, technological sophistication, and operational audacity,” while commending Barnea’s leadership during “some of the most fateful years in [Israel’s] history.”

“Let anyone who plots evil against Israel understand that their schemes will fail. The price they will be forced to pay will be severe, and Iran has already paid a very heavy price,” the Israeli leader said during his speech.

“The foundations of this terrorist regime in Iran have cracked. It will never return to what it was, and I tell you — it will ultimately fall,” he continued.

In recent weeks, regional tensions have intensified as negotiations between US and Iranian officials fail to produce a breakthrough, even as US President Donald Trump repeatedly insists that he still believes a strong agreement can be reached that prevents Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

For its part, Iran is now pushing for an interim agreement that could potentially include sanctions relief, thus granting the regime access to billions of dollars in oil revenue. However, Washington has continued to impose economic sanctions on Iranian entities even as talks have taken place.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the White House had not offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, stating instead that any easing of sanctions would remain tied exclusively to Iran abandoning key elements of its nuclear program.

“Iran is being sanctioned because they’ve highly enriched uranium. Iran is being sanctioned because of their nuclear activities. If they agree to give up those things, there will be sanctions relief associated with their commitment and compliance with those agreements,” Rubio said while testifying publicly before the US Congress for the first time since the Iran war began.

According to multiple media reports, Iran is seeking a limited interim agreement to ease mounting economic pressure and respond to rising domestic risks driven by a deepening economic crisis, while steering clear of any major concessions on its nuclear program.

Tehran’s latest diplomatic maneuvering follows weeks of escalation after US-Israeli strikes in late February spiraled into a broader regional conflict. Iranian attacks across the Gulf have heightened fears over the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

Three months later, despite a fragile ceasefire reached in early April, the conflict has settled into a tense stalemate, with a US blockade on Iranian ports and Tehran’s continued leverage over the Strait of Hormuz sustaining pressure on both sides while leaving the threat of renewed fighting unresolved.

Now, both Washington and Tehran appear to be lowering expectations for a comprehensive settlement, instead exploring what officials have described as a temporary memorandum of understanding — effectively an interim arrangement designed to prevent a return to open conflict while postponing core disputes surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities.

If finalized, a potential framework would reportedly focus on phased sanctions easing and limited access through the waterway while leaving unresolved the most contentious issues, including Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

As the regional stalemate persists, Iran is seeking an end to hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, expanded access to billions in oil revenues, waivers for crude exports, the lifting of the US port blockade, and continued leverage over the Strait of Hormuz — all while delaying decisions on the most sensitive aspects of its nuclear program.