Seven Azerbaijan-origin Israelis arrested for allegedly spying for Iran

Israeli authorities arrested seven Azerbaijan-origin Jews on suspicion of espionage for Iran, the Israel Police announced on Monday.

The group, which allegedly conducted over 600 missions for Iran, face charges of gathering intelligence on sensitive military and infrastructure sites and identifying potential human targets.

Espionage missions for Iran

Prosecutors allege that the seven suspects, who are Jewish Israelis of Azeri origin, collected intelligence on sites including Ramat David Airbase, Nevatim Airbase, and Glilot base. The group reportedly provided detailed information on these sites, with the suspects acting on orders received through intermediaries.

Seven Jewish Israeli citizens: Aziz Nesnov, Alexander Sidikov, Yigal Nissan, Vyacheslav Goshin, Yevgeny Yuva, and two minors, residents of Haifa and the North, were arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran, in a joint security operation between the Shin Bet, the police’s Lahav 433 unit, and the IDF’s Information Security Division.

The suspects carried out security missions for Iranian agents over a period of two years, including photographing military bases and strategic targets such as power stations and Iron Dome systems.

The investigation revealed that the suspects received hundreds of thousands of dollars for these activities, and were caught while trying to gather information about an Israeli citizen whom the Iranians were planning to target.

Israeli Police Statement

Financial motivation behind espionage

The Israel Police disclosed that the group was motivated by financial gain, receiving payment based on the level of risk involved in each mission. Payments were reportedly made through Russian intermediaries who traveled to Israel.

Investigators also seized numerous documents during the operation, which has led to the suspects being in custody for over 35 days.

Charges expected by week’s end

Israeli authorities are expected to formally charge the suspects by the end of the week. Israeli police officials stated that the group’s activities were first detected about two years ago. The suspects are believed to have received hundreds of thousands of shekels for their espionage activities.