In the arrest of an Israeli citizen the secret services of Israel proceeded last month with the accusation thati was recruited from Iran to kill the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the Minister of Defence, Joab Gallant.

A pivotal role it seems two Turks have playedwho put him in touch with his Iranian mentors.

Sin Bet and the police said in a joint statement that the suspect illegally entered Iran twice and received payment to perform the missions.

“The Israeli citizen entered Iran … smuggled across the border hiding inside a truck cab,” an IDF statement said. “He met with additional Iranian intelligence agents and was asked to carry out activities for Iran on Israeli soil, including promoting assassination attacks.”

His relationship with Turkey

The arrested, who in recent years had developed business activity in Turkeyhad received orders to carry out various missions, among them assassinations of top Israeli officials.

In April 2024, the suspect agreed, with the mediation of two Turksby Andrey Farouk Aslan and Junayd Aslan, to meet with a rich businessman living in Iran, named Eddie to promote his business, Shin Bet reports.

The suspect traveled to the Turkish city of Samandag, near Syria, and met with two representatives sent by an Iranian businessman, according to Shin Bet. In Samandag, the Israeli suspect and the Iranian had telephone communication after the latter failed to leave Iran.

Communication with the Iranian businessman

In May 2024, Sin Bet reports that the suspect traveled to Turkey to meet with Andrey, Junayd and two of Eddy’s representatives. After the Iranian businessman was apparently again unable to leave Iran and travel to Turkey, the Israeli was smuggled into Iran via a land crossing near the eastern Turkish city of Van, the security agency said.

Inside Iran, the Israeli met with Eddy and another person called Khwaja, who introduced himself as a member of Iran’s security forces. The Israeli suspect also posed as an Israeli citizen during a meeting at Eddy’s home in Iran, according to the investigation.

During this meeting, Eddie propositioned the Israeli suspect to carry out various missions in Israel for the Iranian regime, including sending money and weapons to specific locations, taking pictures of crowded public places, and threatening Israeli civilians who were also acting on behalf of Iran and failed to carry out their missions.

The Israeli suspect said he would think about it and in August 2024 he returned to Iran.

The security agency reports that at Eddie’s house, the Israeli met with Iranian intelligence officialswho asked him to “promote murderous attacks” against the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu or his Defense Minister Yoav Galland or Sinn Bet chief Ronen Barr. Iranian intelligence officials also considered the possibility of assassinating other senior officials, including former prime minister Naftali Bennett, according to the investigation.

Israel claims Iran asked the civilian to carry out the killings in revenge for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil in July, which Tehran blamed on Tel Aviv.

According to the investigation, the Israeli demanded $1 million in advance before executing anyone.

The next day, the Israeli met again with Iranian intelligence officials, where they again discussed plans to assassinate senior Israeli officials. Other plans discussed and suggested that the Israeli suspect carry out were to locate Russians or Americans and assign them to assassinate Iranian dissidents in Europe and the US and to recruit a Mossad member as a double agent.

Also at this meeting, the Israeli asked for a million dollars in advance, but Iranian intelligence agents refused his request and said they would contact him in the future, Shin Bet reports

According to the investigation, before leaving Iran for the second time, the Israeli received 5,000 euros from one of the Iranian intelligence agents for his participation in the meetings