A man from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic dominated by Sunni Muslims, has been arrested in Israel on suspicion of spying for Iran, Israel's domestic intelligence service Shin Bet said on Thursday.
The suspect also holds a Russian passport. An indictment has already been filed with the court against him.
He is accused of passing on the impact locations of Iranian rockets during the most recent war with Iran. He is also alleged to have provided Iranian intelligence with information about the exact location of the Azrieli Towers, a striking high-rise complex in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv.
Suspected recordings on behalf of Iran
In addition, the Tajik man is said to have photographed the port of Haifa on Iran's behalf and tried to take images of a "security-relevant facility in northern Israel.". He is also alleged to have been actively involved in recruiting other potential spies for Tehran.
According to the authorities, he has been in contact with an Iranian foreign agent since the start of the year. The first contact reportedly came about through an apparently harmless job offer. Although the suspect later realized that it was an Iranian agent, he nevertheless continued the contact.
In recent years, Israelis have also been arrested more frequently on suspicion of spying for Iran.
