An Israeli businessman was charged on Thursday with conspiring with Iranian intelligence services For murder to senior Israeli officials, such as the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, or the Minister of DefenseYoav Gallant.
The man, whose identity has not been revealed, He visited Iran twice via Turkey, where he met a “wealthy Iranian businessman” who offered him missions in Israel, such as transporting money or a gun to a series of predetermined locations, or threatening other Israelis recruited by Iran who had not brought weapons with them on their tasks.
During their second meeting, Iranian intelligence agents asked him to carry out assassinations of key figures in Israel, such as Netanyahu, Gallant or the head of the domestic intelligence service (Shin Bet), Ronen bar.
Iranian officials said the operations were designed as a response to the assassination in Tehran in late July of the then political leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in an attack the Islamic Republic blames on Israel.
The accused asked for a million dollars before implementing any plan, but the Iranians refused. Yet they gave him 5,000 euros for participating in the meetings.
“This is a very serious case that illustrates the enormous efforts made by Iranian intelligence agents to recruit Israeli citizens to promote terrorist activities in Israel,” a senior Shin Bet official said in a statement.
The agency warned that the Islamic Republic would continue to try to recruit Israelis, including those with criminal backgrounds, to carry out operations in the country.
The defendant, who lived for some time in Türkiye, was arrested last month in a joint operation by the Shin Bet and Israeli police.
Domestic intelligence services have stressed that any cooperation with Iranian entities in times of war “This is a serious security crime.”
