Seven Israelis charged with spying for Iran were collectively paid $300,000 to carry out more than 600 missions to collect intel from Israeli military bases and other sensitive sites, officials said.
The seven suspects, who include an IDF deserter and two teenagers, were arrested last month for aiding the enemy during wartime and providing information to the enemy in a major Israeli security breach.
“This is one of the most severe cases of security offenses that have been uncovered in the State of Israel, and which was carried out by Israeli citizens who knew well that they were acting against the country’s security and for Iran, at a time when Israel was engaged in a tough war on several fronts,” a Justice Ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
The suspects are all from the northern city of Haifa and are believed to have been providing Tehran with military intelligence for as long as two years, prosecutors allege in a 20-page indictment obtained by the Times of Israel.
Azis Nisanov, 43, was recruited by Iran to lead the spy ring in late 2022 when he was contacted by a foreign agent.
He agreed to begin relaying photos and information in exchange for money due to financial hardships, prosecutors said.
He tapped Alexander Sadykov, 58, to be his deputy and manage the other agents, Israeli prosecutors said.
Nisanov’s son, Yigal Nissan, a 20-year-old former enlisted soldier, was also recruited to assist in the ring. Nisan was declared AWOL on December 4, 2023.
Sadykov’s pals Vyacheslav Gushchin, 46, and Yevgeny Yoffe, 47, as well as a 16- and 17-year-old were also involved, officials said.
In exchange for the intel, suspects received payment and reimbursement of equipment expenses that ranged from $500 to $1,200 per task. After hundreds of missions, the ring was paid $300,000 by Iranian agents.
“Our assessment is that the activities of this ring caused damage to the security of Israel,” a Shin Bet official said Monday.
Spying operations continued through the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. However, in November the group started pretending to be tour guides to keep their cover, according to the indictment.
The defendants allegedly provided photos of Israeli air bases at Nevatim, Ramat David, Tel Nof and Palmachim, as well as bases in Beer Tuvia, Kiryat Gat, Emek Hefer and the Glilot complex north of Tel Aviv, according to the Times of Israel.
They’re accused of photographing Israel’s crucial Iron Dome missile defense systems near Haifa, government buildings, several ports, power plants and an IDF observation balloon, prosecutors said.
They were also tasked with scoping out foreign sites, including chartering a boat to Cyprus to photograph the port there and the landing path for flights between the island and Israel.
Nisanov was also asked to track down an expert in gas engineering at the University of Haifa who had lectured on Iran.
In mid-September, the group was asked to photograph soccer matches at Beersheba’s Turner Stadium, as well as youth league practices.
Several suspects were arrested by authorities while taking pictures of the nearby town of Lahav on September 19, with Gushchin and Yaffe arrested days later.
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 Oct. 15 and 16, outline Israeli air force exercises involving air-to-surface missiles. The leak has not been tied to the spy ring.
