Iranian spy ring tried to assassinate Israeli nuclear scientist, police reveal

For the second time in two days, Israeli security services announced on Tuesday that an Iranian spy ring was dismantled. The cell, made up of seven young Arab men from Jerusalem, attempted to assassinate an Israeli nuclear scientist, Israeli media reported.

The seven men, between the ages of 19 and 23, are residents of Beit Safafa in East Jerusalem and were arrested last month after a joint investigation by the Jerusalem Police and Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service, responsible for counterespionage.

The suspects were allegedly planning to assassinate a senior nuclear scientist and were gathering information about an unnamed mayor in the center of the country.

According to the investigation, an Iranian intelligence service agent contacted the main suspect, a 23-year-old man named Rami Alian, recruiting him to carry out tasks in exchange for money.

Alian then recruited the other six suspects, none of whom had a criminal or security-related record.

The group of men were being paid to set fire to cars in the Ein Karem neighborhood, spray graffiti calling for the release of hostages in Gaza and throw a grenade at the house of an IDF soldier whom they knew, though their task wasn't carried out. For this, they received thousands of shekels.

They were also instructed to purchase weapons and more grenades.

"The missions turned into more serious sabotage missions, such as setting fire to vehicles and purchasing weapons," a security official involved in the case told Channel 12 News.

The smaller tasks were meant to prepare them for the mission’s true purpose: gathering intelligence about the mayor of a large city to prepare for his assassination and killing a nuclear scientist.

Alian was told he would be paid NIS 200,000 ($53,000) if the assassination was successful.

"They received precise details about the scientist, including his name, his place of work and other data provided to them by the Iranian authorities," said the security official.

The cell had already received Iranian funds and contacted sellers to buy illegal weapons but the seven were arrested before attempting the assassination.

Several of the men already admitted to being in contact with Iranian intelligence and carrying out the acts, saying the main motive wasn’t financial, but “nationalistic,” meaning they wanted to commit terror against Israel.

The state prosecutor submitted a statement and is expected to file an indictment against the cell on Wednesday.

The Tuesday announcement followed a similar statement on Monday, when police said it had foiled another Iranian spy ring accused of providing Iran with detailed information about strategic military sites in Israel.

On Monday, state prosecutors filed charges against seven individuals, who immigrated from Azerbaijan. “Every missile fired towards the country in the past two years from Gaza, Lebanon, or Iran reached places they filmed and sent to the Iranians, with an emphasis on the past year,” the police said.

Last week, an Israeli couple was arrested after being recruited by an Iranian agent to carry out various acts of sabotage, including plots to assassinate Israeli leaders. 

In September, an Israeli businessman was arrested after being recruited by Iranian agents in Turkey. Shin Bet said it has foiled several attempts at sabotage and assassination by Iranian agents over the past few months.