Israeli man arrested for espionage, suspected of working for Iran

Investigators uncovered that the spy received payments via encrypted financial transactions and used additional secrecy measures to conceal his activities.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israeli authorities arrested Edward Yusupov, a 65-year-old resident of Netivot, on suspicion of conducting surveillance and photography of sensitive security and infrastructure sites on behalf of an enemy country, it was cleared for publication on Sunday.

Yusupov had been in contact with an operator believed to be linked to an enemy country, carrying out assignments in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Police said.

According to investigators, Yusupov’s activities began in October 2024, when he established contact with an individual who identified himself as an Azerbaijani citizen living in Dubai.

Under this operator’s direction, Yusupov conducted surveillance of critical Israeli sites, including military bases, the Haifa Port, the Haifa refineries, and a nuclear research center.

Yusupov also rented an apartment in Haifa overlooking the port, allegedly to be used for operational purposes by his handler and other hostile elements.

Investigators uncovered that Yusupov received payments via encrypted financial transactions and used additional secrecy measures to conceal his activities.

Despite suspecting early on that he was working for a hostile foreign intelligence service, he continued executing assignments.

Based on investigative findings and patterns observed in similar recent cases, authorities believe he was operating under the direction of Iranian intelligence.

The Southern District Attorney’s Office is set to file an indictment against Yusupov in court on March 24.

Following Yusupov’s arrest, Israeli security agencies reiterated their warnings to citizens against engaging with unknown foreign contacts, particularly those linked to enemy states.

Officials stress that intelligence and terrorist organizations continue to exploit social media and other platforms to recruit Israelis for espionage and security-related missions.