Israeli security services say they dismantled a spy ring operating on behalf of Iranian intelligence, arresting seven people accused of collecting secret information on military and infrastructure sites, as the government said on Monday. The operation was coordinated by Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, together with police, targeting suspects from northern Israel, including the port city of Haifa. They are believed to have been spying on all significant military bases, energy facilities, and port infrastructures, including Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system.

Shin Bet and Israeli police described the breach as one of the most severe security threats to the country. A senior Shin Bet source said the spy ring’s activities probably inflicted significant damage to Israel’s national security. Suspects allegedly were recruited by two Iranian intelligence agents to complete hundreds of espionage assignments focused on military assets and strategic infrastructure.

According to the investigation, the targets were a power plant in Hadera and military bases with an emphasis on air and naval forces, among other targets. The suspects operated in return for large sums of money, and their movement is claimed to have been through transfers made in cryptocurrency, hence making tracing of the funds complex.

The police release showed that the members of the network acted in light of moneymaking greed, and their activities damaged the security of Israel and its citizens. Materials collected by the spy ring were passed to Iranian agents before the group was arrested. There are two minors among the involved persons in these espionage activities.

The Israeli prosecutor’s office is expected to file an indictment in the coming days, and further details related to the extent of damage done are still under review. This is the latest among a long series of Iranian attempts to penetrate Israel’s security operations. Only recently, Israeli security forces had detained another alleged participant who was suspected of having been involved in an assassination plot supposedly backed by Iran and aimed at prominent individuals, including the prime minister.

Israel has a record of spy activities in Iran. Though Israel never issued a public statement for the July killing in Tehran of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, the murder is still highly controversial. Iranian authorities still have not commented on the recent espionage case. 

This case shows that Iranian intelligence is making ongoing efforts to breach Israel’s borders, incorporate someone within Israel, and attack sensitive security operations inside the country, hence constituting a significant threat to safety and stability.

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