Israeli police have arrested an Israeli citizen accused of being recruited by Iranian intelligence to plan the assassination of high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a joint statement by the police and Shin Bet security service on Thursday.
The statement revealed that the suspect, a businessman who had lived in Turkey for an extended period, was recruited by Iranian operatives and smuggled into Iran twice. During these trips, he reportedly received payments for undertaking missions aimed at targeting Israeli leaders.
Among the intended targets were Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar. The police indicated that the man had established connections with Turkish and Iranian contacts who introduced him, via phone, to an Iranian businessman named Eddie.
The suspect’s first trip to Iran occurred in May 2024, during which he reportedly met with Eddie and another individual named Hajjah, described as an Iranian security operative. During this trip, he was asked to undertake security-related missions in Israel, such as transferring weapons, photographing public spaces, and threatening other Israelis allegedly recruited by Tehran.
In August, the businessman was smuggled back into Iran in a lorry, where he met additional Iranian intelligence agents. He was instructed to carry out terrorist attacks on Israeli soil, including promoting assassination plots. Some of these attacks were believed to be revenge for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July—an event for which Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel, though Israeli officials have not commented.
In addition to these assassination plots, the suspect was tasked with recruiting Mossad agents to act as double agents. He was reportedly offered a $1 million advance but received only 5,000 euros for his participation in the meetings. Further contact from Iranian operatives was expected.
“This is a very serious case that highlights the extensive efforts of Iranian intelligence to recruit Israeli citizens for terrorist activities in Israel,” a senior Shin Bet official said.
