Israel arrests second group of alleged Iran spies

News of the arrests came hours after authorities said seven Israeli Jewish citizens had been arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran.

The seven – who had immigrated from Azerbaijan – were detained in the Haifa area.

They are suspected of carrying out about 600 espionage missions, including passing on intelligence about military sites and energy infrastructure. Last week, four Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone attack by Iran’s ally Hezbollah on an army base near Binyamina in northern Israel. The base was among the sites which the group had spied on, security services say.

While Iranian attempts to recruit local operatives is not unusual, the alleged recruitment of Israeli Jews is very rare.

A statement from the Shin Bet and police said those arrested were “well aware” that the intelligence they provided compromised national security and could potentially aid enemy missile attacks.

They were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the information said police, who also described it as one of the most serious cases yet uncovered.

The latest arrests come amid stepped up overt and covert activity between Israel and Iran, including intelligence and sabotage operations in each other’s countries.

Israel is believed to have penetrated Iranian security services, resulting in attacks and assassinations. Iran occasionally announces arrests of alleged Israeli intelligence agents and the breaking up of alleged Israeli spy cells, though without providing substantial evidence.