New Security Breach: Hebrew Media Reveals Iran Recruited Americans and Israelis to Spy Inside Israel

NYN | Reports and Analyses 

Hebrew Channel 13 revealed on Tuesday what it described as an escalation of Iranian intelligence activity inside Israel, pointing to the arrest of a young man holding American citizenship on suspicion of involvement in executing espionage missions for Tehran.

According to the report, the Israeli Police and the General Security Service (Shin Bet) detained the young man, who is approximately 20 years old, after suspecting him of communicating with entities linked to Iranian intelligence. His assignments included gathering field intelligence and photographing strategic and sensitive sites inside Israel.

Photographing Sensitive Sites for Money

The channel stated that investigations showed the suspect had been in contact with Iranian handlers online over the past few months. He was reportedly asked to document military and civilian facilities and send their geographical coordinates in exchange for financial payments ranging between tens and hundreds of dollars per mission.

It added that the arrest took place after Israeli security agencies received intelligence from allied international parties. Meanwhile, the public prosecution issued a prosecutor’s statement in preparation for filing an official indictment against him.

Consecutive Espionage Cases

The channel quoted Israeli security officials as saying that the recent period has witnessed the exposure of several cases of espionage and links to foreign entities, amid accusations against Iran of attempting to breach the Israeli home front and gather information on strategic locations.

In the same context, Israeli authorities announced the filing of an indictment against a settler from the city of Bat Yam on charges related to communicating with an Iranian agent and executing security missions in exchange for money.

Former Soldiers Among the Espionage Network

The report also noted an investigation into a member of the Israeli investigation unit “Lahav 433” over suspicions of links to foreign agents, before he was released under restrictive conditions.

The channel concluded its report by revealing the dismantling of another spy network that included an Israeli citizen and three former soldiers. They were accused of documenting and sending photos and videos of sensitive sites, including train stations, commercial centers, and facilities linked to the Israeli Air Force