Israel says another man arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran

An Israeli man has been arrested on charges of conducting surveillance near former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s home and passing information to Iranian intelligence.

Israeli police and the Shin Bet spy agency said on Thursday that they had arrested the man, in his early 40s, from the central city of Rishon LeZion on suspicion of committing security offenses allegedly linked to Iranian intelligence.

The suspect, identified as Vadim Kupriyanov, was detained this month after investigators claimed he had conducted surveillance near the home of former prime minister Naftali Bennett.

According to Israeli officials, the man was instructed by alleged Iranian handlers to purchase a dash camera and film specific locations.

“The suspect was identified as having conducted photography in the vicinity of the home of former prime minister Naftali Bennett. As part of his contact with Iranian handlers, he was instructed to purchase a dash camera in order to carry out the task,” said a joint police and Shin Bet statement.

The investigation further alleged that over the past two months, the suspect carried out several security-related tasks, including photographing sites in his city of residence and other locations, and transferring the images in exchange for varying sums of money.

An indictment is expected to be filed at a local court. 

Israel claims two men arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran

Israel

According to Israeli media, this case follows a similar arrest in May of an 18-year-old Israeli accused of spying on Bennett.

The arrest comes shortly after the hacking of Bennett’s Telegram account, an incident initially downplayed by his office before later being acknowledged.

Pro-Palestinian group Handala released thousands of phone numbers and documents, including partial correspondence dating back to 2022, in what it described as “Operation Octopus.”

Among those exposed were contact details linked to foreign leaders, senior officials, journalists, and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, underscoring serious lapses in Israel’s much-vaunted cyber defenses.

The Tel Aviv regime has, over the past two years, arrested dozens of Israelis and charged them with espionage for Iran, with Israeli police describing the phenomenon of Israelis spying for the Islamic Republic as having reached an “unprecedented” level.

In response, the Israeli regime launched a mid‑July PR campaign titled “Easy Money, Heavy Price”, featuring ads across radio, websites, and social media. According to a cabinet press release, the initiative seeks to “raise awareness of the phenomenon of Israeli citizens cooperating with Iran, carrying out security missions for Iran inside Israel.”

Authorities told The Times of Israel that alleged espionage activities “included photographing military and sensitive sites, moving purported weapons within the country and laying the groundwork for assassination plots.”

While financial incentives are cited as a driver, some observers argue that deep political divisions within the Israeli entity may also be fueling espionage.

Pro-Palestinian hacker group breaches phone of former Israeli PM Bennett

The Pro-Palestinian hacker group says that it has succeeded in hacking the mobile phone of former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett.

The case unfolds months after the Israeli regime launched an unprovoked war of aggression against Iranian military, nuclear, and residential sites in a blatant violation of international law.

Iran responded with drone and missile strikes, after which the United States joined Israel in targeting Iranian nuclear facilities which were under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency. 

On June 24, Iran, through its successful retaliatory operations against both the Israeli regime and the US, managed to impose a halt to the illegal assault.

During the war, heavy Israeli military censorship prevented the release of information on many of the sensitive army and intelligence sites struck by Iran.

Israel suspended the broadcasts of several international media organizations, threatening to detain anyone filming the sites of missile impacts.

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