It may well be that he is seeking (or has already obtained) asylum with the USA. Even if Israel had no involvement, the Mullahs could strike back at them for propaganda purposes -- this will be a huge blow to the Iranian regime if he really has defected, and they will be desperate to strike back and/or change the subject. They could lash out at Israel simply to get their people riled up at Israel, and/or to try to create a cover story that Mossad kidnapped him and THEN he accepted asylum in the USA, etc.
And, of course, it is quite possible that someone associated with Mossad had a role in getting him in touch with the right people in the vast US govt.
Iranian general 'seeking asylum in US'
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21344278-2703,00.html * Abraham Rabinovich, Jerusalem
* March 08, 2007
A RETIRED Iranian general who went missing in Turkey last month has defected and sought asylum in the US, according to a well-connected Arabic newspaper published in London.
The newspaper, al-Shark al-Awsat, cited "high-profile" sources saying former Iranian deputy defence minister and Revolutionary Guard commander Ali Reza Asghari had gone over to the West.
Reports from Istanbul that General Asghari's family had also disappeared in Turkey support the likelihood that he defected rather than was kidnapped by either the CIA or by Israel's Mossad, as has been speculated. The general went missing from his Istanbul hotel a month ago.
Iranian authorities, who have been silent on the disappearance until this week, claim he has been abducted. "It is likely Asghari has been abducted by Western intelligence services," said Iran's top police officer, General Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghaddam.
Defection of such a high-ranking figure would leave no external enemy to blame and would be seen as a rejection of the Islamic state by someone who well knows its inner workings.
General Asghari's crossing of the line, whether voluntary or not, is a resounding blow for the Iranian Government since he is privy to its most intimate secrets, particularly those concerning its nuclear capabilities and plans.
He served until two years ago as deputy defence minister, a post he held for eight years and which presumably offered an uninhibited view of virtually every aspect of Iran's security apparatus.
He was reportedly closely associated with Iran's activities in support of the Shi'ites in Iraq.
US intelligence analysts contend that Iran has been providing armaments to Iraqi Shia fighters that have been used with deadly effect against coalition forces, particularly highly lethal roadside bombs.
General Asghari would presumably be able to address the question of whether these shipments have been made with "approval from top leaders in Iran", as a senior US intelligence officer has claimed.
Israel's Shin Bet security service, which is responsible for protecting Israeli diplomatic missions abroad and senior Israeli officials on their travels, has reportedly boosted its activity abroad in anticipation of a possible Iranian attempt to kidnap an Israeli official.
"We formulate our security arrangements according to developments in the field and intelligence information," said a Shin Bet spokesman yesterday.
Israel has denied any connection to the missing general. Israeli officials, however, would clearly like to hear what General Asghari has to say about the disappearance of a downed Israeli navigator, Ron Arad, who was reportedly transferred by Lebanese Shi'ites to Iran in the 1980s when General Asghari was commander of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard detachment posted in Lebanon to liaise with Hezbollah.