The Islamic Republic of Iran came “very close” to assassinating Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Hebrew media reported on Sunday, citing details from the criminal investigation into Israeli citizens accused of assisting the thwarted terrorist plot.
Roi Mizrahi, who was arrested two months ago by Israeli security forces on suspicion of committing security-related offenses on behalf of Iran, is accused of planting a “powerful” explosive device near Katz’s home in Kfar Ahim, according to Channel 12 News. Mizrahi allegedly carried out the act in coordination with a second suspect, Almog Atias.
Initial reports indicated that the suspects had come into contact with Iranian-linked operatives through a Telegram chat group for swingers. They were first 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. The explosion failed to cause any casualties. The report described the attempted assassination as what “could have been the greatest Iranian revenge.”
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, where prosecutors are expected to request their detention be extended until the end of legal proceedings. They are facing serious charges, including aiding the enemy during wartime—a crime that carries severe penalties under Israeli law, including life imprisonment or, in extreme cases, the death penalty.
Since the outbreak of the war triggered by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border massacre from the Gaza Strip, Israeli security forces have uncovered approximately two dozen cases of Tehran attempting to recruit citizens of the Jewish state.
In May, an Israeli citizen from Haifa was arrested on suspicion of spying for the Islamic Republic, the Shin Bet revealed on June 23.
Dimitri Cohen, 28, who immigrated to Israel a few years ago, transferred “sensitive information” to his Iranian handlers for cash, investigators said. The suspect allegedly gathered information on military bases, strategic sites and homes linked to senior Israeli public officials.
Israel Police Chief Superintendent Yoni Hajaj, head of the Central Unit in the Coastal District, warned that this was a widespread phenomenon.
“Unfortunately, it has become a trend,” he 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—as missiles are falling [on Israeli cities]—we understand the devastating consequences of Iranian-directed targeting of sensitive sites,” the officer said.
