Police and Shin Bet arrested Netivot resident Eduard Yusupov (65) on Sunday on suspicion of committing serious security offenses by collaborating with Iranian intelligence operatives and performing directed missions in exchange for payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars.
According to the Shin Bet and police investigation, Yusupov established contact with an individual claiming to be an Azerbaijani citizen based in Dubai beginning in October last year. For this contact, Yusupov completed numerous assignments, including surveillance and photography of critical infrastructure and security installations across Israel. His targets included IDF military bases, Haifa Port, the Haifa oil refineries, and the Nuclear Research Center. The Southern District Attorney's Office is expected to file formal charges against him in court on Monday.
In their statement, security officials added, "The Shin Bet and Israel Police again warn citizens and residents of the State of Israel against maintaining contact with foreign entities from enemy states and/or unidentified sources, let alone carrying out missions for them in exchange for payment or any other reason. These entities, including intelligence and terror operatives from enemy states, continue their efforts to recruit and deploy Israelis to carry out security, terror, and espionage missions in Israel. These entities also attempt to recruit Israelis through approaches on social media."
This case represents part of a troubling pattern of Iranian espionage recruitment targeting Israeli citizens that has accelerated since the beginning of the Gaza conflict. In February, authorities charged another individual from Petach Tikva with conducting operations for Iran. Just a month before that, two IDF reserve soldiers faced indictment for transmitting classified information about the Iron Dome defense system to Iranian handlers. Both soldiers, northern Israel residents, admitted to the allegations during interrogation. Another espionage case emerged in December 2024, also involving a Petah Tikva resident. In that instance, Shin Bet and police arrested Alexander Granovsky, 29, on suspicion of orchestrating vehicle arson attacks throughout Israel at the direction of terrorist elements.
