Israel arrests man accused of spying for Iran

Israeli security forces said in a statement on Monday that they had arrested a Tel Aviv resident suspected of collecting intelligence for Iran, reported Xinhua.

The 27-year-old Israeli allegedly initiated contact with Iranian operatives through a social network and carried out assignments for them in exchange for payment, according to a joint investigation by the police cybercrime unit and the Shin Bet internal security agency.

Investigators said he filmed several sites at the request of his Iranian operators, including the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, a park in the upscale Bavli neighborhood, and the site of an Iranian rocket impact nearby Ramat Gan.

In return, he allegedly received several thousand shekels transferred in cryptocurrency to digital wallets controlled by the Iranians.

The suspect was arrested last Thursday, and a search of his home uncovered digital evidence and 18 SIM cards allegedly used to communicate with the Iranian handlers, the statement said.

Since the start of the war in Gaza in 2023, the Shin Bet has uncovered more than 20 espionage cases involving Israelis suspected of working for Iranian intelligence, according to figures released by the agency.