Israeli security services report that seven people were arrested in occupied East Jerusalem, suspected of planning attacks against Iran. This is the second such arrest in the last few days.
Shin Bet, the Israeli domestic security agency, and police released a joint press release in which they said that the suspects planned to assassinate an Israeli scientist and city mayor “under Iranian guidance.”
Authorities said that they were also ordered to bomb a police vehicle and throw a grenade into a house for a payment amounting to 200,000 shekels ($53,000; PS40,700).
The news of the detentions came a day after Israeli Security Services announced that seven Israelis were arrested on suspicion of spying against Iran.
Iran is Israel’s arch enemy and tensions are at their highest level in years. Israel has promised to retaliate for an Iranian missile attack against Israel on 1 October.
The statement stated that the group was headed by a man aged 23, who had been recruited allegedly as an Iranian agent. The leader is said have recruited the other six suspects.
Local media reported that the man confessed to “terrorist activities” for nationalistic motives.
The Shin Bet and Police statement said: “Scientists and other prominent Israelis such as mayors, security officials and other prominent Israelis will be targets for Iranian agents.”
This investigation highlights Iran’s efforts at recruiting Israeli citizens to terrorist activities.
“Israeli security agencies continue to collaborate in order to detect Iranian activities and prosecute the involved parties.”
The arrests come just hours after the authorities announced that seven Israeli Jewish citizens were arrested on suspicion spying for Iran.
The seven, who were immigrants from Azerbaijan, were detained near Haifa.
They are suspected of carrying about 600 espionage operations, including passing along intelligence about military sites and infrastructure. Hezbollah, Iran’s ally, launched a drone attack on an Israeli army base near Binyamina last week. Four Israeli soldiers were killed. Security services claim that the base was one of the sites that the group had spied upon.
While Iranian attempts to recruit local agents is not uncommon, the alleged recruiting of Israeli Jews is extremely rare.
Shin Bet and police released a statement saying that those arrested “well knew” the intelligence they provided could compromise national security and potentially aid enemy missile strikes.
The police said that they were paid hundreds and thousands of dollars to provide the information. They also described this as one of the worst cases ever uncovered.
The arrests are part of a stepped-up covert and overt activity between Israel, Iran and other countries. This includes intelligence and sabotage activities in each others’ countries.
Israel is believed by many to have penetrated the Iranian security services and caused attacks and assassinations. Iran announces the arrest of alleged Israeli intelligence agents, and the dismantling of alleged Israeli spy cell, but without providing any substantial evidence.
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