7 Israelis arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran, accused of completing 600 missions

Seven Israelis have been arrested on suspicion of espionage for Iran, allegedly completing hundreds of tasks for Tehran.

According to a Times of Israel report, citing prosecutors, the suspects, all Jewish residents of Haifa and northern Israel, include a soldier who deserted and two minors.

The adult suspects have been identified as Azis Nisanov, Alexander Sadykov, Vyacheslav Gushchin, Yevgeny Yoffe, and Yigal Nissan, added the report.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the suspects completed some 600 missions for Iran, including gathering intelligence on sensitive military and infrastructure sites and identifying potential human targets for Iran.

Notable sites involved in their alleged espionage included Ramat David Airbase, Nevatim Airbase, Glilot, and the Golani Brigade base.

The Nevatim base has been targeted in two Iranian missile attacks this year, while Ramat David has faced strikes from Hezbollah.

The suspects are accused of receiving maps of strategic locations from their handlers, including the Golani base, which was struck by a deadly drone attack earlier this month.

According to Times of Israel report, citing prosecutors, in exchange for their activities, the suspects allegedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars, some in cryptocurrency.

Prosecutors claim that some of the suspects have been spying for Iran for two years, with all involved in espionage activities since the onset of the conflict.

The State Attorney’s Office has labeled this case as one of the most serious investigations in recent years.

Prosecutors plan to file indictments against the seven suspects for security offenses on Friday and will seek their detention until legal proceedings conclude.

With inputs from agencies