7 East Jerusalem men arrested in Iran spy plot, including bid to kill nuclear scientist
Ring of suspects aged 19-23, almost all Israeli citizens, marks fifth Iranian spy case revealed since September, and first to profess a desire to hurt Israel as the main motivation
Seven East Jerusalem Palestinians have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran and plotting attacks in Israel on the Islamic Republic’s behalf, the Israel Police and Shin Bet said Tuesday, marking the fifth such case to be revealed in just over a month and the second in as many days.
The suspects, all men aged 19 to 23 from the Beit Safafa neighborhood without previous criminal or security-related records, were pursuing the assassination of an Israeli nuclear scientist as well as the mayor of a large city in central Israel, the authorities said in a statement.
Six of the suspects are Israeli citizens, and the other is a permanent resident. The leader of the ring, a 23-year-old named Rami Alian, was recruited by an Iranian agent, and Alian then recruited the other six members, authorities said.
They are expected to be indicted by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office on charges of serious security violations, the statement said.
The suspects “worked as an organized cell, in which each of them had a defined role,” a security official said, adding that the suspects knew each other from the neighborhood, and had personal relationships that helped them coordinate their activities.
The suspects carried out various missions for their Iranian contacts, including posting graffiti demanding the release of Israeli hostages, vandalizing sites in Jerusalem, and photographing various locations, the authorities said.
After a while, “the missions turned into more serious sabotage efforts, like setting a vehicle on fire” — which the group did in the city’s Ein Kerem neighborhood, in exchange for 2,000 NIS ($529) — ”or purchasing weapons,” a security official said.
At one point Alian was asked to hurl a hand grenade at an Israeli security serviceman, allegedly locating a soldier in Jerusalem and receiving 15,000 NIS ($3,969) to purchase the grenade, but not carrying out the mission in the end.
After this incident, he was told to photograph a research center, which he allegedly did, in exchange for 5,000 NIS ($1,322).
Alian was ultimately given a photo and address of a nuclear scientist whom the Islamic Republic wanted him to assassinate, and was told he would be paid NIS 200,000 ($53,000) if he succeeded, authorities said.
He allegedly began preparations for the act, gathering information about the target, including his daily habits, whereabouts, and other personal information, but the cell was arrested before it could move forward.
“They tried to prepare the ground for a planned assassination,” a security official said.
Police said Alian told investigators he was aware he was working for Iranians and wanted to harm national security, citing the war in Gaza. “I feel proud that an Iranian turned to me,” he allegedly said.
This would seem to mark the first of the recently uncovered spy rings to be primarily motivated by nationalist ideology, rather than by the financial rewards offered in exchange for the missions, though details on all the cases remain limited.
The members of the alleged ring also appeared to have contacted their Iranian handlers directly. “They weren’t helped by a Turkish intermediary, as was the case in previous instances; rather they used different means, which we can’t share,” a senior police official said.
The investigation into the ring began in September, and detectives followed the suspects for a month and a half. Their detention has so far been extended until October 24.
A search of the suspects’ houses upon their arrest yielded some NIS 50,000 ($13,229), as well as some 10 credit cards, and a fake police license plate.
The Shin Bet in recent months has announced a series of alleged Iranian plots, in which Tehran had tried to trick Israelis online into carrying out missions. In January, authorities uncovered a scheme involving Israelis who were allegedly recruited to gather intelligence on high-profile figures.
In September, a man from the southern city of Ashkelon was arrested on allegations that he was smuggled into Iran twice and received payment to carry out missions on behalf of Tehran, and was recruited to assassinate either Israel’s prime minister, defense minister, or the head of the Shin Bet.
Then, on October 14, a man and his 18-year-old partner, both from Ramat Gan, were arrested on charges they carried out various acts of sabotage and vandalism on behalf of an Iranian agent.
On October 16, the Israel Police and State Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of a man from central Israel, who allegedly acquired a weapon in order to kill an Israeli scientist on instructions from an Iranian agent, after performing several smaller tasks on the agent’s behalf.
And on Monday, it was announced that seven Israeli citizens, Jewish immigrants from Azerbaijan, had been arrested last month on suspicion of spying for Iran for as long as two years, carrying out hundreds of tasks at the behest of the Islamic Republic, motivated by a financial payout of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The suspects were accused of photographing and collecting information on IDF bases and facilities, including the Kirya defense headquarters in Tel Aviv and the Nevatim and Ramat David air bases, which have been targeted by Iran and Hezbollah since the outbreak of the war last year.
The suspects announced Monday were also accused of gathering information on Iron Dome batteries, ports and energy infrastructure, including the power plant in Hadera, and allegedly received maps of strategic sites from their handlers.
In addition, members of the ring revealed Monday were accused of collecting information about several Israeli citizens, including a senior security figure, and may have been part of a plot to ultimately assassinate the figure.
The Times of Israel Community.