By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2024-10-21 19:30:11 | Updated at 2024-10-22 15:38:46
20 hours ago
Israeli authorities have arrested seven people, including two minors, on suspicion of spying for Iran — in what officials have described as one of the most serious security breaches ever seen by the Jewish state.
The Shin Bet intelligence agency said the spies were busted on Monday in what has been characterized as one the most egregious attempts by Tehran to gather information on Israel’s military bases and ports.
“The assessment is that the activity of the members of the ring has caused security damage to the security of the state,” a senior source with the Shin Bet security service said.
“As part of the investigation, many materials seized were collected by the members of the ring and handed over to the Iranian agents,” the source added.
The suspects had allegedly been tasked by Iran’s intelligence service to carry out hundreds of missions across Israel, including tasks targeting the Hadera power plant and Iron Dome missile defense system.
In exchange for betraying their country, the alleged spies were given hundreds of thousands of dollars, part of which was paid through cryptocurrency.
Police officials said the seven suspects acted out of greed and ultimately “hurt the state of Israel and its citizens.”
The spying comes as highly classified US intelligence documents showing Israeli military preparations for a looming strike on Iran were leaked online.
The documents, dated October 15 and 16, outline Israeli air force exercises involving air-to-surface missiles. The leak has not been tied to the spy ring.
The military exercises include at least 16 airborne missiles, 40 advanced “Rocks” missiles and refueling tankers, suggesting the attack will be aimed at targets across Iran, The Times of London reported, citing alleged images and documents from the US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.
The satellite images, leaked by pro-Iranian groups on social media, show the scale of Israel’s preparations to hit Iran in retaliation for Tehran’s Oct. 1 ballistic missile barrage that hit north and central Israel.
The report claims the Israeli Air Force has readied 16 “golden horizon” missiles, along with 40 of the ISO2 Rocks missiles to be launched from the air.
The documents also mention “covert drone activity” as part of the preparations, with images also capturing the movement of Israel’s naval forces along the Port of Haifa.
The movements suggest Israel is also preparing for Iran’s expected counterattack, with Tehran previously warning that it would do anything to protect its citizens from the Jewish state’s looming strike.
While the documents appear to be part of the leaked intelligence from last week, which is currently under investigation, the reports have yet to be verified.
The leaked documents also fail to indicate which targets Israel would be aiming for in the attack.
The US has repeatedly advised Israel to avoid hitting Iran’s nuclear or oil facilities, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly assuring President Joe Biden that those sites would be off limits.
Biden and leaders in the Gulf nations have repeatedly warned that such a strike would likely result in all-out war in the region.
Last Friday, reputed documents dated Oct. 15 and 16 made the rounds on Telegram and were posted there by an account titled “Middle_East_Spectator.” That Telegram channel has a history of posting pro-Iranian material.
The documents had top secret classification markings and others indicating they were only supposed to be viewed by the “Five Eyes” alliance between the US and Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
House Speaker Mike Johnson slammed the leak as “very concerning,” while reiterating America’s support for Israel’s strike on Iran as revenge for the Oct. 1 attack.
The Iranian assault saw some 180 ballistic missiles fired at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a suspected Israeli bombing in Tehran.
The sole causality of the Iranian attack was a Palestinian man in the West Bank who was crushed by a downed missile.
With Post wires
