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Three Israelis charged with spying for Iran

Prosecutors say the suspects gathered information for the Islamic Republic and planned an assassination, as part of a broader effort to recruit Israelis for attacks.

The beach promenade in the northern Israeli city of Tiberias, right by the Sea of Galilee, on Feb. 3, 2025. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.
The beach promenade in the northern Israeli city of Tiberias, right by the Sea of Galilee, on Feb. 3, 2025. Photo by David Cohen/Flash90.

State prosecutors on Thursday indicted three Israeli citizens on charges of carrying out missions for Iranian intelligence, including a foiled plot to assassinate a senior Israeli figure.

According to one of the indictments, Yoni Segal, 18, and Omri Mizrahi, 20, both from Tiberias, maintained contact with Iranian agents from mid-May until their arrest on June 15.

The two are accused of gathering intelligence on Israeli shopping malls and hospitals—documenting entrances, security measures and emergency exits at sites in Haifa, Tiberias and Tel Aviv—at the request of their handlers. Prosecutors allege that Segal and Mizrahi were promised hundreds of thousands of shekels in cryptocurrency and relocation to Iran if they carried out the planned assassination. The suspects were arrested while preparing to travel abroad for weapons training, after which they were to receive their target’s identity.

In a separate case, Mark Morgain, 33, of the Jordan Valley, was indicted for allegedly communicating with Iranian intelligence in June and performing tasks at their direction. Morgain is accused of moving a grenade between locations, knowing it was intended to harm civilians, and of filming for his handlers missile interceptions during the 12-day Israel-Iran war.

Authorities say the arrests are part of a broader pattern of Iranian attempts to recruit Israeli citizens since the outbreak of the current conflict. All three suspects remain in custody pending trial.

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