Israeli security forces arrested two Jewish citizens overnight Saturday on suspicion of carrying out missions for Iranian intelligence, the Israel Police and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) said on Sunday.
The arrests, conducted in a joint operation with the Border Police’s Yaman National Counter-Terrorism Unit and the International Crime Investigations department of the National Major Crime Unit (Lahav 433), comes as Jerusalem wages war against the Islamic Republic.
Authorities allege the suspects committed serious security offenses under direct guidance from Iranian intelligence operatives. According to the Shin Bet, this is the latest of 22 Iranian espionage plots thwarted since Oct. 7, 2023, highlighting efforts by Tehran to recruit Israeli civilians for missions aimed at undermining national security.
“In the midst of a campaign against Iran, with attacks on population centers and strategic sites, collaboration with the Iranian enemy poses a significant threat, as they exploit information provided by these individuals to harm Israel,” a Shin Bet official said.
Details of the investigation and the suspects’ identities remain under a court-imposed gag order.
Security agencies reiterated warnings to Israeli citizens against cooperating with foreign entities, particularly in wartime, and vowed to prosecute those involved to the fullest extent of the law.