Israeli security agencies last month arrested a resident of the northern city of Haifa on suspicion having worked with Iran to assassinate an unidentified “senior figure” with an explosive device, the Israel Police said on Thursday.
Suspect Ami Gaidarov, 22, received over 70,000 shekels ($22,000) from Iranian intelligence to prepare the bomb, in addition to other offenses that harmed the Jewish state’s national security, according to the statement.
“The investigation revealed that Gaidarov had been in contact with an Iranian agent starting in August 2025, during which he carried out numerous missions for large sums of money,” the Israel Police stated.
“To facilitate the contacts with his handlers, Gaidarov purchased dedicated phones and rented an apartment in Haifa where he produced the explosive substance, while documenting his activities in videos and photos that were sent to his handler as proof of compliance,” the force said.
The suspect was said to have enlisted the help of several friends to purchase raw materials needed to produce a bomb. Sergei Libman and Eduard Shubtyuk were detained alongside Gaidarov on suspicions of helping him hide the device and conduct experiments.
Hebrew media reports identified the senior Israeli figure who was to be targeted in the bombing as former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
During “Operation Roaring Lion” against Tehran, which started on Feb. 28, Gaidarov was told to provide the Iranians with pictures of Haifa Port and find a rental apartment with a view of the harbor, allegedly in order to install a surveillance camera there. He also documented missile impact sites in the country’s north for his handlers, according to police.
An indictment against the suspects is expected to be filed “in the coming days,” the statement said. The charges are expected to include the most serious charge of aiding the enemy during wartime.
Attempts by the Iranian intelligence agencies to recruit Israelis have intensified over the past year, and in particular since “Operation Rising Lion” in June 2025, the Israel Police and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said in a joint statement last month.
Since the 12-day war last June, the police and the ISA have exposed 16 Iranian-related espionage cases, resulting in serious indictments against the suspects.
Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered legal proceedings to begin to revoke the citizenship of Israelis convicted of spying for Iran during the war, in what officials described as an unprecedented move that will apply to all Israeli citizens.
The directive, issued with the backing of Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, instructs law-enforcement authorities to pursue citizenship revocation once legal proceedings are complete and a final, binding conviction has been handed down for serious espionage offenses carried out on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
