Authorities accuse 22-year-old of plotting attacks and inciting unrest in exchange for Iranian payment
An Israeli university student has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran, according to a joint statement released Thursday by Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security service and national police.
The 22-year-old suspect, an information systems student at Ben Gurion University in Beersheba, hails from the Arab village of Deir al-Asad in northern Israel. Authorities say he was taken into custody in June and is expected to face formal charges.
Investigators allege the student had been in contact with an Iranian intelligence agent for several months. In return for payment, he reportedly carried out tasks that included an attempt to physically harm a person, scattering nails on a major road in Beersheba, and promoting socially divisive narratives online.
The suspect is also accused of acting out of ideological support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to security sources.
It remains unclear whether the arrest occurred before or during the recent 12-day escalation between Israel and Iran.
The case adds to a growing list of espionage-related arrests in Israel linked to Iranian intelligence networks, as tensions between the two regional rivals continue to simmer.
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