Tel Aviv:
Israel recently apprehended nearly 30 individuals, mostly Jewish citizens, suspected of spying for Iran in nine covert cells. This development has raised concerns in the country and indicates Tehran’s significant effort in decades to infiltrate its longtime adversary, as per four Israeli security sources.
According to security service Shin Bet, the alleged cells had various objectives, including plotting the assassination of an Israeli nuclear scientist and former military officials. Additionally, one group gathered information on military bases and air defenses. Last week, Shin Bet and Israel’s police disclosed that a father-son duo had been sharing details of Israeli force movements, particularly in the Golan Heights.
The arrests follow multiple attempts by Iranian intelligence operatives over the past two years to recruit ordinary Israelis for intelligence gathering and carrying out attacks in exchange for monetary rewards, as confirmed by four serving and former military and security officials.
Former top Shin Bet official Shalom Ben Hanan described the situation as a significant phenomenon, highlighting the surprising number of Jewish citizens who knowingly collaborated with Iran against the state through intelligence operations or planning sabotage and attacks.
While Shin Bet and the police refrained from commenting on the matter, Iran’s foreign ministry did not address the allegations when approached for clarification.
Iran’s U.N. mission, in a statement released post the arrests, neither confirmed nor denied recruiting Israelis and reasoned that any such efforts by Iranian intelligence services would likely target non-Iranian and non-Muslim individuals to reduce suspicion.
Notably, at least two suspects hailed from Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community, as confirmed by police and Shin Bet.
Unlike previous decades when high-profile individuals were recruited for Iranian espionage, the recent alleged spies were largely individuals on the fringes of Israeli society, including recent immigrants, an army deserter, and a convicted sex offender, as per the sources, court records, and official statements.
While much of their activities were limited to defacing property and vehicles, the scale of arrests and the involvement of numerous Jewish Israelis, along with Arab citizens, has sparked concerns in Israel, especially amidst ongoing conflicts with Iran-backed groups like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah.
Shin Bet declared the espionage activities as among the most severe in Israel’s history, and the arrests come on the heels of increased attempted attacks and abductions linked to Tehran in Europe and the United States.
Israeli security services opted to provide detailed accounts of the alleged plots as a warning to both Iran and potential saboteurs within Israel, signaling that such activities would be swiftly dealt with, according to Ben Hanan.
Israel has reportedly thwarted Tehran’s retaliatory efforts thus far, following significant intelligence victories in the ongoing shadow war with its regional rival.
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Israeli police cautioned about ongoing infiltration attempts by Iranian intelligence agencies, often targeting potential recruits through social media platforms.
Recruitment tactics can be direct, as evidenced by messages promising monetary rewards in exchange for information, as disclosed in a video released by Israeli police in November.
Iran has also approached expatriate networks of Jews from Caucasus countries residing in Canada and the United States, according to a former senior official involved in Israel’s counter espionage efforts.
Publicly, Israeli authorities have acknowledged that some Jewish suspects had origins in Caucasus countries.
Recruits typically start with seemingly harmless tasks for financial gain, gradually escalating to demands for specific intelligence on targets, often backed by the threat of blackmail.
One suspect, Vladislav Victorsson, previously convicted for sex offenses, was arrested alongside his girlfriend for carrying out tasks for Iranian intelligence in exchange for money.
Shin Bet and police revealed that Victorsson knew he was working for Iranian intelligence and had agreed to undertake dangerous missions, including an assassination plot and procurement of weapons.
Despite the challenges posed by Iran’s recruitment efforts, Israel remains vigilant in safeguarding its national security interests and countering external threats.
(This story has been adapted for WordPress from a syndicated feed; the headline remains unchanged.)
