Suburban Israeli couple arrested for spying for Iran

A Tel Aviv-area couple is facing grave charges for allegedly serving as Iranian agents and gathering intelligence from inside Israel.

By World Israel News Staff

A couple in their 30s from the central Israel city of Ra’anana were arrested Monday and face serious charges of spying on behalf of Iran.

The man and woman from the Tel Aviv suburb were arrested after a lengthy investigation determined they had been in extended contact with an Iranian agent, according to a joint statement from the police and Shin Bet intelligence agency.

During a police raid of the couple’s home, authorities discovered numerous suspicious items, including multiple cellphones, computers and other items said to contain evidence of their communication with their Iranian handler.

A large amount of cash was also found inside the home.

Although the media statement did not include specific details about the couple’s actions, the police and Shin Bet said they had engaged in espionage activity that benefited Iran.

Since the October 7 massacres, dozens of Israelis have been arrested for engaging with Iranian intelligence agents and carrying out various tasks within the Jewish state, typically in exchange for cash.

Most cases saw Iranian operatives making contact Israelis on the anonymous social media platform Telegram.

Often, the Israelis agreed to take photographs, surveil various sites of interest, or commit minor acts of vandalism, such as spray-painting divisive graffiti.

They received cryptocurrency payments after providing proof of their activities.

After proving their commitment, their Iranian handlers often escalated the nature of the requests, even asking them in some cases to assassinate senior Israeli political figures.

In May 2025, police arrested a 24-year-old Israeli man for allegedly planting explosives near the home of Defense Minister Israel Katz. The suspect, named in Hebrew-language media reports as Roi Mizrahi, is being charged with “aiding the enemy in a time of war” — an extremely serious charge in Israeli law, which is potentially punishable by death.