The serious security affair first exposed by Israel Hayom earlier this week – following the lifting of a gag order at the outlet's request – has emerged as one of the gravest espionage and terrorism cases uncovered in recent years. Ami Gaidrov, 22, of Haifa, was arrested on suspicion of being recruited by Iranian intelligence with the aim of carrying out an assassination attempt against a senior Israeli figure.
A bomb-making lab in the heart of Haifa
Details cleared for publication Thursday reveal that Gaidrov had been in contact with an Iranian handler since August 2025. In exchange for approximately 70,000 shekels (approximately $19,500) paid in cryptocurrency, the suspect carried out intelligence-gathering missions at the Haifa port and at sites where missiles landed during Operation Roaring Lion.
The operation's peak came when Gaidrov agreed to manufacture explosives for an assassination attempt against a senior figure – widely believed to be former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, though Gaidrov allegedly had no knowledge of the target's identity. Gaidrov rented a dedicated apartment in Haifa that served as a makeshift lab, and filmed himself manufacturing the explosive devices for his handlers. Two additional suspects, Sergei Liebman and Eduard Shubtiyuk, were arrested on suspicion of assisting him in procuring the materials and participating in a detonation test to assess the device's effectiveness.
An escalation in the shadow war
As Israel Hayom reported earlier this week, security officials have described the affair as "a serious escalation," particularly given that the operational activity took place at the height of Israel's war with Iran. The case is another link in a troubling chain: in the past two years, more than 40 indictments have been filed against more than 60 defendants recruited by Tehran.
The Israel Hayom exposé comes against the backdrop of both legal and legislative efforts to address the phenomenon. Roughly two months ago, Israel Hayom reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had directed officials to advance unprecedented proceedings to strip citizenship from Israelis convicted of spying for Iran – including Jewish citizens. In closed-door conversations whose contents were published by Israel Hayom last week, Netanyahu stressed, "We must act with full severity and use every tool available against anyone who collaborates with the enemy during an existential war."
A prosecutor's statement was filed Thursday against Gaidrov and the other suspects, with a serious indictment expected to follow in the coming days. The Lahav 433 Major Crimes Unit and the Shin Bet have renewed their warnings that Iranian attempts to recruit Israeli citizens via social media are growing increasingly aggressive and dangerous – shifting from seemingly innocent photography assignments to full-fledged murder plots.
