Israeli police and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) agents have uncovered another Iranian tentacle in the Jewish State – this one in the central region.
Police arrested a married couple in their thirties from the city of Ra’anana on Monday following a week-long covert investigation and subsequent interrogation.
Both are accused of spying for Iran.
A search of the couple’s apartment turned up phones, computers and other electronic devices that allegedly contained alleged communications with an Iranian agent. The two suspects were scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday for a remand hearing.
Three other suspected Iranian spies were arrested in two separate incidents this week as well; two of the accused are residents of Tiberias and the third is from the Jordan Valley.
Yoni Segal, 18, and Nehorai Omri Mizrahi, 20, allegedly gave their Iranian handler information and footage of shopping malls in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Tiberias, as well as information on Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Ichilov Medical Center. Mark Morgein, 35, is accused of transporting a grenade from a hidden location to a second area at the request of his Iranian handler, knowing it was to be used in an attack on Israelis.
Earlier this week, Israeli media reported that Iran came “very close” to succeeding in an attempt to assassinate Defense Minister Israel Katz. Two suspects were arrested two months ago on suspicion of security-related offenses on behalf of Tehran.
One of the two suspects, Roi Mizrahi, is accused of planting a powerful explosive device near the defense minister’s home in Kfar Ahim, aided by the second suspect, Almog Atias. Both were allegedly in contact with Iranian agents via a Telegram chat.
Last month, 28-year-old Dmitri Cohen was also arrested on suspicion of spying for the Islamic Republic. Cohen allegedly gave his handler information on military bases, strategic sites and homes of senior Israeli public officials.
“Unfortunately, it has become a trend,” Israel Police Chief Superintendent Yoni Hajaj told reporters this week. “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.”
Multiple strategic and sensitive sites in Israel were directly hit by deadly Iranian ballistic missiles during last month’s 12-day war, Operation Rising Lion. Among the most badly damaged sites were the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, where priceless research was lost as a result; Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, the largest medical center in southern Israel; multiple residential buildings in the coastal city of Bat Yam, and more.
