Israel Arrests Young Man on Charges of Spying for Iran and Planning to Assassinate Defense Minister

Israeli media reports on Saturday, June 28, indicated the arrest of a 24-year-old young man on charges of spying for Iran and placing explosives near the home of Israeli Defense Minister, Yisrael Katz. The details were revealed in a report aired by Israeli Channel 12 and reported by "Times of Israel", noting that the case dates back to last April.

The report explained that the accused, named Roy Mizrahi, was part of an Iranian plan to assassinate Minister Katz, where he was officially charged with "assisting the enemy in wartime", a charge considered one of the most serious security crimes in Israeli law. According to the same sources, the explosives planted by Mizrahi near the minister's house were ready to detonate as he passed by the site, confirming that the operation was on the verge of success.

The report went on to reveal details of Mizrahi's recruitment, indicating that he was introduced to an Iranian agent named "Alex" through the Telegram app, before he in turn recruited his friend Almog Atias to participate in the operations. The two filmed sensitive locations in Israel, including the Shin Bet headquarters and towers in Tel Aviv, and sent the materials to the Iranian side.

The mission later evolved when they were asked to plant two spy cameras in the town of Kfar Ahim, the hometown of Minister Katz, but they failed to complete the mission after feeling confused due to the presence of a security vehicle, leading them to dispose of the cameras. The report also revealed that Mizrahi was offered a million dollars to assassinate a scientist at the Weizmann Institute, but he backed out after the Iranian side failed to pay half of the amount upfront.

The attempts did not stop there, as Mizrahi continued to communicate with another Iranian agent under the name "Gates", and succeeded this time in persuading him to place explosives near Minister Katz's house. Mizrahi carried out the mission after receiving a blue bag containing the explosives and placing it at the designated location, receiving money in return through digital currencies.

On his part, Mizrahi's lawyer defended his client, describing him as "a naive young man who did not actually harm the state's security". In conclusion, Channel 12 pointed out that the assassination plan of Katz is just one episode in a series of Iranian operations targeting prominent Israeli figures, without delving into further details.