State prosecutors have filed espionage charges against an Israeli citizen accused of passing sensitive information about Israeli war plans to an Iranian intelligence agent.
The suspect's identity remains under a court-imposed gag order. According to prosecutors, he immigrated from Iran to Israel in 1999 and later reestablished contact with Iranian authorities during a trip to Turkey more than a decade later, when he visited the Iranian embassy.
Shortly after that visit, the defendant began a relationship with an Iranian woman living in Iran. Through her, he was introduced to Iranian operatives. Prosecutors allege that an Iranian agent contacted the woman and asked her to arrange a meeting between the defendant and himself.
The defendant allegedly met with two Iranian operatives in Turkey in September 2024 while visiting his partner. Upon returning to Israel, he remained in touch with one of the agents via the Telegram messaging app.
Authorities claim the defendant took advantage of an existing friendship with another Israeli citizen who had connections to government figures. That associate was reportedly in communication with an Iranian chemist who provided intelligence that could support Israel’s strategic interests against Iran.
The associate asked the defendant to help translate correspondence with the chemist from Farsi to Hebrew. According to the indictment, the defendant then betrayed the chemist by informing the Iranian agent of the contact, sharing the translated materials and advising the agent to "keep an eye on him."
In May 2025, one month before Israel launched an air offensive against Iran, the defendant allegedly told his Iranian contact that Israel planned to attack the country. He later reported that Israel was preparing a commando operation targeting nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic.
The suspect was arrested by Israeli police on July 1. He is now standing trial at the Lod District Court, charged with maintaining contact with a foreign agent and passing intelligence to the enemy with the intent to harm state security.
