A new espionage case involving Israeli citizens spying for Iran was revealed on Sunday.
Last Wednesday, the State Prosecutor's Office filed a serious security indictment at the Central District Court in Lod against an Israeli citizen, accusing him of contacting a foreign agent and providing information to an enemy with intent to harm the security of the state, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The indictment reveals that the accused maintained a long-term relationship with an Iranian woman living in Iran. In 2024, during Israel's war against the Iranian regime and its proxies, the man traveled to Turkey where he met his partner and two members of Iran's regime apparatus, knowing they were hostile to Israel.
Following the meeting, the man repeatedly contacted an Iranian agent via Telegram, at times on his own initiative, to provide various pieces of information.
Identity of an Iranian sailor who had assisted Israel revealed
Among the intelligence allegedly shared was the identity of an Iranian sailor who had secretly assisted Israel. The sailor, employed on an Iranian oil tanker, had passed information to an Israeli close to the accused.
The indictment also states that the man provided details on Israel's intended strikes against Iran, the flight path of UAVs sent from Israel toward Iran, and information confirming that an Israeli Air Force base had been hit during Iran's attack.
Prosecutors emphasized that the accused knowingly engaged with a foreign agent and transmitted sensitive information with the intent of damaging Israel's national security. They have requested the court keep him in custody through the end of the proceedings, citing heightened danger given the ongoing multi-front conflict Israel faces — particularly with Iran — and the missile fire it has endured from Iranian territory.
The case is the latest in a string of Iranian espionage plots involving Israeli citizens. In the past two years, multiple spy rings have been uncovered. These include a group of immigrants from Azerbaijan allegedly paid up to $1,200 per mission, and two 21-year-old Russian-speaking IDF soldiers who were arrested on suspicion of espionage. One reportedly passed on information about the Iron Dome defense system, while the other engaged in graffiti tagging and the dissemination of messages on behalf of Iran.
