The Islamic Republic of Iran came “very close” to assassinating Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Hebrew media reported Sunday.
The details emerged from a criminal investigation into Israeli citizens accused of assisting the thwarted terrorist plot.
Roi Mizrahi was arrested two months ago by Israeli security forces on suspicion of security-related offenses on behalf of Iran.
He is accused of planting a “powerful” explosive device near Katz’s home in Kfar Ahim in coordination with an accomplice, Almog Atias, according to Israel’s Channel 12 News.
Initial reports suggested the suspects contacted Iranian-linked operatives through a Telegram chat group for swingers. They were initially believed to have been arrested for installing Iranian-operated security cameras on a road near Katz’s residence.
Sunday’s report, citing interrogation records and videos recovered from the suspects’ phones, revealed that Mizrahi and Atias transported an explosive device they had picked up from a separate location. The device — allegedly described to Mizrahi as containing drugs or soaps, though he reportedly understood it was a bomb — detonated as the defense minister passed by.
Miraculously, the explosion failed to cause any casualties.
During interrogations, Mizrahi told officers from the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Police that he had suspected he would be transporting a bomb even before carrying out the mission. However, he admitted being driven by “curiosity” and the lure of the money he was promised in return.
The two suspects are reportedly scheduled to appear in court in the coming days, when prosecutors are expected to request they be held until the end of legal proceedings.
They face serious charges, including aiding the enemy during wartime, a crime that carries severe penalties under Israeli law, including life imprisonment.
Israel Police Chief Superintendent Yoni Hajaj, head of the Central Unit in the Coastal District, warned that this i
a widespread phenomenon.
“Unfortunately, it has become a trend,” Hajaj said. “There are several dozen individuals operating on behalf of Iran. [Before the war], taking a photo of a military base may have seemed harmless, but now . . . we understand the devastating consequences of Iranian-directed targeting of sensitive sites.”
The Shin Bet and Israel Police said in a joint statement on Monday that three more Israelis were arrested on suspicion of spying on behalf of Iran — two from Tiberias and one from the Jordan Valley. All three are being held pending indictment.
Last month, an Israeli citizen from Haifa was arrested on suspicion of spying for the Islamic Republic, the Shin Bet revealed on June 23.
