According to the Shin Bet and police investigation, the Jewish Israeli civilian was a businessman who lived in Turkey for lengthy periods, and there he would manage business and social relations with Turkish and Iranian people.
In April 2024, the suspect agreed, through the mediation of two Turkish people, Andrey Farouk Aslan and Junayd Aslan, to meet with a rich businessman living in Iran named Eddy, in order to advance business activity, the Shin Bet says.
The suspect traveled to the Turkish city of Samandag, close to Syria, and met with two representatives sent by the Iranian businessman, according to the Shin Bet. In Samandag, the Israeli suspect and the Iranian held a phone call, after the latter was unable to leave Iran.
In May 2024, the Shin Bet says that the suspect traveled to Turkey to meet with Andrey, Junayd, and Eddy's two representatives.
After the Iranian businessman was again unable to leave Iran and travel to Turkey, the Israeli man was smuggled into Iran via a land crossing near the eastern Turkish city of Van, the security agency says.
Inside Iran, the Israeli man met with Eddy and another person called Khwaja, who presented himself as a member of Iran's security forces. The Israeli suspect also presented himself as Israeli during a meeting at Eddy's house in Iran, according to the investigation.
During that meeting, Eddy suggested to the Israeli suspect to carry out various missions in Israel for the Iranian regime, including sending money or a handgun to specified locations, taking photos of crowded public areas, and threatening Israeli civilians who are also operating on behalf of Iran and did not carry out their missions, the Shin Bet found.
The Israeli suspect said he would look into it, and in August 2024, returned to Iran. He was smuggled into Iran via a land crossing while being hidden inside a truck, according to the investigation.
The security agency says that at Eddy's house, the Israeli man met with Iranian intelligence officials, who asked him to "advance assassination attacks" on Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, or Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, or the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar.
The Iranian intelligence officials also looked into the possibility of assassinating other senior officials, including former prime minister Naftali Bennet, according to the investigation.
The Shin Bet says the assassination plans were seen by the Iranian officials as revenge for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Teheran in July, which has been attributed to Israel.
According to the investigation, the Israeli man asked for one million dollars up front before carrying out any of the tasks.
The following day, the Israeli suspect met again with the Iranian intelligence officials, where they again discussed the assassination plans of senior Israeli officials, the Shin Bet says.
During that meeting, according to the investigation, it was also suggested that the Israeli man place money at various locations in Israel for others who are being operated by Iran. Other plans suggested in the meeting were for the Israeli man to locate Russian or Americans and task them with assassinating Iranian dissidents in Europe and the US, and to recruit a Mossad member and a double agent.
Also in this meeting, the Israeli man demanded a million dollars in advance, but the Iranian intelligence agents denies his request and said they would contact him in the future, the Shin Bet says.
According to the investigation, before leaving Iran for the second time, the Israeli man was given 5,000 Euro from one of the Iranian intelligence agents for participating in the meetings.
The suspect, who is not named, was indicted today.