The suspect, Bashar Musa, a resident of Deir al-Asad in northern Israel and a student at Ben-Gurion University, was arrested following a joint investigation by the Shin Bet security agency and the Israel Police’s Northern District.
Israeli security forces have confirmed the arrest of a 22-year-old university student for allegedly spying for Iranian intelligence, in what authorities described as the latest in a series of attempts by Tehran to recruit Israeli citizens for subversive activity within the country.
The suspect, Bashar Musa, a resident of Deir al-Asad in northern Israel and a student at Ben-Gurion University, was arrested following a joint investigation by the Shin Bet security agency and the Israel Police’s Northern District, Shin Bet announced on Thursday in a joint statement with the police, according to Ynet News.
The statement noted that Musa allegedly maintained prolonged contact with an Iranian operative, carrying out a number of tasks at their direction including scattering nails on a major road in Be’er Sheva, posing a potential hazard to motorists, and disseminating content online intended to inflame tensions within Israeli society.
Israeli authorities reported that Musa acted out of sympathy with Gaza and received payment for his activities.
An indictment is expected to be filed against him in the coming days.
“This is a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by Iranian intelligence,” the Shin Bet said in a joint statement with police.
“Passing information to the enemy, even if it seems minor, assists them in their war against Israel. Security forces will continue to identify and foil acts of terror and espionage directed by enemy entities.”
Musa’s arrest comes amid a string of recent espionage-related cases tied to Iran.
In May, Israeli authorities arrested 28-year-old Dimitri Cohen from Haifa, accusing him of providing Iranian handlers with sensitive information, including photographs of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) installations, critical infrastructure, and the residences of senior officials.
He was allegedly recruited through a Russian-language job website and paid in bitcoin, $500 per mission, according to investigators.
Earlier this week, it was reported that another suspect, a 27-year-old Tel Aviv resident, was taken into custody on suspicion of conducting surveillance on military and government sites, spraying pro-Iran graffiti, and maintaining secret communications with an Iranian handler.
Investigators said the suspect received thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency.
All three cases are part of what Israeli intelligence officials described as a broader Iranian campaign to exploit internal divisions and recruit operatives within Israeli society, including Israeli Arabs and those with dual nationalities or economic vulnerabilities.
The arrests come amid ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran, whose hostile relationship spans decades but has escalated significantly in recent years.
Iran, which openly calls for the destruction of the Israeli state, has been accused of funding and arming proxy groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, and various militias in Syria and Iraq.
Israel, in turn, has conducted dozens of covert operations and airstrikes aimed at disrupting Iranian weapons shipments and nuclear development.
The shadow war has also extended into cyberspace, with both nations accusing each other of hacking, disinformation campaigns, and attempts to destabilise public infrastructure.
Israeli intelligence agencies have warned that Iran’s strategy increasingly involves recruiting civilians for information gathering and low-level sabotage, often through online platforms and covert financial transfers.
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