Seven Israeli citizens have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran over a span of two years, allegedly carrying out hundreds of tasks for Iranian intelligence, Israeli prosecutors revealed on Monday. The accused, all residents of Haifa and northern Israel who emigrated from Azerbaijan, are said to have collected and passed on sensitive military and security information to Iranian agents. They are all Jewish.
“This is one of the most severe cases we’ve ever investigated. There is a real possibility that the main charge will be aiding the enemy in wartime, for which the penalty is death or life imprisonment,” said Chief Superintendent Yaron Binyamin, who heads the Lahav 433 serious crimes unit of the Israel Police, as per a report from Times of Israel.
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The group reportedly consisted of Azis Nisanov, Alexander Sadykov, Vyacheslav Gushchin, Yevgeny Yoffe, and Yigal Nissan, along with two minors aged 16 and 17. One of the suspects is a soldier who had deserted the military. Authorities say the group completed approximately 600 missions over two years.
According to police sources, Nisanov was the first to be recruited for the operation by an individual in Azerbaijan, who connected him to a Turkish intermediary named “Alkhasan.” Nisanov later brought six more people into the spy network, some of whom were his relatives.
The suspects were aware that they were compromising Israel’s security
The suspects allegedly worked with two Iranian agents known as “Alhan” and “Orhan.” They were aware that the information they provided—such as photographs and details of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) bases and strategic sites—could compromise the country’s security.
“They were desperate for tasks, because they were desperate for money,” said a police source to Times of Israel, explaining the suspects’ motivation.
Suspects were targeting key military sites
Among the sites targeted were key military locations, including the Kirya defense headquarters in Tel Aviv, and air bases at Nevatim and Ramat David. The suspects are accused of scouting these sites and relaying their findings to their Iranian handlers. Both Nevatim and Ramat David air bases had been targeted in attacks since the outbreak of war last year, with the Nevatim base hit by Iranian missile strikes.
In addition, the group is alleged to have gathered intelligence on Iron Dome batteries, ports, and energy infrastructure. In one instance, the suspects reportedly photographed the precise location of an Air Force observation balloon in the Galilee, which was hit by a direct strike about a month later.
The suspects also allegedly received maps of strategic sites, including the Golani training base, which was targeted in a deadly drone attack earlier this month. They are further accused of reporting the aftermath of projectile strikes during Iran’s April attack on Israel, information that could help Iran refine its targeting for future assaults.
The arrests underscore the ongoing threat posed by espionage networks targeting sensitive military and security infrastructure in Israel.
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