A Bat Yam man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of maintaining contact with Iranian intelligence officials and carrying out security-related missions for them, Israel Police and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said in a joint statement on Monday.
A prosecutor’s statement was filed against the suspect at the end of a joint undercover investigation by the Ayalon District police’s Crime-Fighting Unit and the Shin Bet, the statement said. An indictment is expected to be filed against him in the coming days.
According to the investigation, the suspect allegedly made contact with an Iranian figure through social media at the end of 2025. He allegedly agreed to carry out various missions in exchange for money transferred to him during that contact.
The suspect was arrested in May 2026 as part of the joint Shin Bet and police operation. During the investigation, authorities said the suspicion against him grew stronger, indicating that in the months before his arrest he had been in contact with Iranian intelligence officials and had carried out several security-related tasks.
Police and the Shin Bet described the case as a severe espionage affair involving alleged contact with a foreign agent.
Police and Shin Bet warn Israelis against contact with foreign agents
“Israel Police and the Shin Bet again warn Israeli citizens and residents against maintaining contact with foreign elements and carrying out missions for them,” the statement said. “These actions constitute a serious violation of the law and endanger state security.”
The security agencies added that they would continue working with all relevant defense bodies to identify, foil, and bring to justice anyone who chooses to cooperate with hostile actors, in order to protect Israel and its citizens.
Iranian recruitment attempts have intensified during the war
The case comes amid repeated warnings by Israeli security officials that Iranian intelligence services have attempted to recruit Israelis online, often through social media, messaging apps, or financial offers, in order to carry out tasks inside Israel.
In April, The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli authorities had identified a growing list of cases in which Iranian handlers allegedly used social media and messaging platforms to contact Israelis, offer payment, and assign tasks that in some cases escalated over time.
The Shin Bet has warned that such recruitment efforts sharply intensified during the war. In its January 2026 annual report, the agency said that 25 Israelis and foreign residents were indicted in 2025 for spying for Iran, while 120 separate Iranian espionage incidents were thwarted that year.
Police have also pointed to money as a central motive in many of the cases. A police official told the Post in July 2025 that financial incentives had played a major role in several espionage cases involving Israelis accused of working with Iranian intelligence agencies.
Several recent cases have involved alleged online recruitment, cryptocurrency payments, and tasks that began with simple assignments. In March, prosecutors filed an indictment against a 14-year-old Israeli accused of carrying out paid assignments for hostile actors while suspecting they were Iranian.
In another case, a Tel Aviv resident was arrested on suspicion of contacting an Iranian handler and carrying out missions for payment, including photographing sites in Israel, police and the Shin Bet said at the time.
Source:
www.jpost.com
