What is the relationship between Mossad and the CIA?
- 17GEN4
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
The relationship between Mossad (Israel's foreign intelligence agency) and the CIA is one of the closest and most enduring intelligence partnerships in the world, rooted in shared strategic interests despite occasional frictions typical of even the tightest allies. It is characterized by deep cooperation on intelligence sharing, joint operations, and counterterrorism, particularly against common threats like Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other militant groups—while punctuated by isolated Israeli espionage incidents against the U.S. that have strained trust temporarily but never broken the alliance.
Historical Foundations (1950s Onward)
Formal ties began in 1951, when Mossad and the CIA established a liaison agreement under which the agencies pledged not to spy on each other ("friends don't spy on friends"). CIA counterintelligence chief James Jesus Angleton personally managed the relationship for decades, viewing Israel as a key bulwark against Soviet influence in the Middle East. In exchange for U.S. intelligence on Arab states, Israel provided high-value assets, including a copy of Nikita Khrushchev's 1956 secret speech denouncing Stalin, and captured Soviet weaponry (tanks, aircraft, radars, missiles) from wars in 1967 and 1973—material that helped the Pentagon develop countermeasures.
This evolved into broad Cold War collaboration, extending to operations in Africa, Latin America, and against communism. Post-Cold War, it shifted to counterterrorism and non-state threats. A leaked 2013 NSA document confirmed technical and analytic sharing with Israel's signals intelligence unit, including raw data feeds.
Areas of Close Cooperation
Mossad and the CIA (along with NSA and other U.S. elements) routinely exchange human intelligence (HUMINT), signals intelligence, and analysis where U.S. capabilities are limited in the Middle East (e.g., post-1979 Iran or after the 1983 Beirut embassy bombing). Israel fills critical gaps for the U.S., while benefiting from American technological reach, diplomatic leverage, and broader global networks.Key examples include:
Iran-focused operations: Joint cyber efforts like the Stuxnet virus (circa 2010), which sabotaged Iran's nuclear centrifuges. More recently (2024–2026), cooperation intensified against Iran's nuclear and missile programs, including Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. In one notable 2026 case, the CIA tracked Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for months and shared "high fidelity" intelligence on a leadership gathering in Tehran; the U.S. and Israel adjusted strike timing accordingly, resulting in the killing of Khamenei and other top officials. Mossad has publicly thanked the CIA for partnership in such operations.
Post-October 7, 2023 (Hamas attack): The U.S. dispatched intelligence units to Israel, established dedicated channels for locating Hamas leaders (e.g., Yahya Sinwar), and expanded a secret memorandum for unprecedented sharing on hostages, border security, and counterterrorism using U.S. drone feeds and real-time data.
Other contributions: Israel shared Soleimani's cellphone data (leading to the 2020 U.S. drone strike), ISIS-related intel (including bomb-making techniques and fighter lists), warnings of Iranian attacks on U.S. bases, and Soviet/Arab military insights. The U.S. has relied on Mossad for HUMINT on terrorism, proliferation, and radical groups where CIA presence is thin.
This is not a formal "Five Eyes"-style pact but operates through dedicated liaisons with unusually high trust and access.
Tensions and Espionage Incidents
Despite the 1951 no-spy agreement, U.S. counterintelligence has long ranked Israel among the most active foreign espionage threats on American soil (alongside China and Russia), particularly in economic, scientific, and military-tech domains. A 1996 GAO report and internal assessments described Israeli efforts as aggressive, though prosecutions are rare due to political sensitivities.
The most damaging case was Jonathan Pollard (1985): A U.S. Navy analyst who passed over 800 classified documents and 1,500 intelligence summaries to Israeli handlers (primarily via LAKAM, with Mossad ties). The material covered Arab/Soviet capabilities and even U.S. assessments of Israel itself. Pollard served 30 years before parole in 2015 and relocation to Israel; the case caused lasting damage assessments and temporary halts in cooperation, though relations recovered.
Other examples include suspected nuclear-related theft (e.g., 1960s NUMEC uranium diversion allegations), krytron smuggling for Israel's nuclear program, and later incidents like spying on U.S. Iran nuclear talks (2015) or deploying surveillance devices near sensitive sites. In 2021, then-Prime Minister Netanyahu temporarily curtailed some sharing over disagreements on the Iran nuclear deal. As recently as 2025, a U.S. ambassador's meeting with Pollard alarmed the CIA, highlighting lingering sensitivities around convicted spies.
These episodes reflect Israel's drive for technological and strategic edge (e.g., nuclear deterrence) but have not derailed the core partnership, which both sides describe as vital.Current Status (as of 2026)The relationship remains exceptionally strong and operational, driven by aligned threats from Iran and its proxies. U.S. officials have described it as operating "in virtual lock step" during aligned administrations, with expanded post-2023 mechanisms. While policy differences (e.g., over Gaza or Iran diplomacy) can cause friction, intelligence ties are insulated and pragmatic. Both agencies continue joint outreach (e.g., public calls for Iranian sources) and view each other as indispensable partners rather than rivals.
Mossad and the CIA are strategic intelligence allies with a "special relationship" of mutual benefit—far closer than with most nations—but not immune to the self-interest that leads even friends to spy occasionally. The cooperation overwhelmingly defines the dynamic and has produced tangible results in countering shared adversaries.