Petah Tikva resident indicted for spying for Iran, sending footage of sensitive sites

An Israeli resident of the central city of Petah Tikva has been indicted at the Central District Court for carrying out missions on behalf of Iran that harmed national security, prosecutors say.

Days after the Shin Bet and police revealed the arrest of Alexander Granovsky, 29, he is charged with being in contact with a foreign agent, handing information to the enemy, and additional vandalism and arson offenses. Prosecutors ask the court to extend his remand until the end of proceedings in the case.

According to the indictment, Granovsky has been in continuous contact with an Iranian agent since November, receiving thousands of dollars and carrying out “a series of severe acts, including filming security facilities, spray-painting political messages, torching cars and additional acts.”

It says that in December, Granovsky was asked to purchase weapons and filmed the neighborhood where former defense minister Benny Gantz lives, as well as power plants in Hadera and Tel Aviv, sending the Iranian agent the footage.

He was also allegedly asked to buy and then destroy army uniform, and to find people with criminal pasts to carry out “acts of violence.” He sent contact details for two such people. The indictment says he also agreed to make Molotov cocktails but failed due to language barriers.

Granovsky was allegedly aware he was cooperating with a hostile element, and even brought up more potential tasks and demanded that the agent give him more — and bigger — missions.

There has been a series of plots involving civilians apparently recruited by Iran that security agencies say have been foiled in recent months.

Emanuel Fabian contributed to this report.