An indictment was filed on Sunday at the Haifa District Court against Shimon Azarzar, 27, from Kiryat Yam, who is accused of transmitting sensitive military information to Iranian intelligence, the Shin Bet and Israel Police stated.
Azarzar and his girlfriend were arrested in October on suspicion of acting under Iranian direction to gather intelligence and carry out various tasks.
According to the Shin Bet and Israel Police, Azarzar sent photos and coordinates of strategic sites in Israel to Iranian operatives over the course of a year. He also allegedly used his girlfriend, a reservist serving on an Air Force base, to collect additional intelligence on IDF facilities and operations.
The indictment charges Azarzar with espionage-related offenses, including unauthorized contact with a foreign agent and offering classified material. Authorities said he received payments via digital transfer for his activity.
“The Israel Security Agency and Israel Police once again warn Israeli citizens and residents against maintaining any contact with foreign elements from enemy states or unidentified sources, and certainly against performing missions for them in exchange for money or for any other reason. Israel’s security bodies will continue to identify and thwart terror and espionage activity in Israel, and will work to bring all those involved to justice,” the Shin Bet and police warned in a joint statement.
Authorities said the investigation showed Azarzar had offered to pass information from within military bases and had exploited his access to his girlfriend’s knowledge of classified operations and locations.
Second suspect arrested for alleged Iran-linked espionage
About a week prior to Azarzar’s arrest, another suspect was detained on similar charges. During a search of his residence, investigators reportedly uncovered digital materials and 18 SIM cards used for communication with a hostile foreign agent.
Despite the findings, the Magistrate’s Court released the suspect without placing him under house arrest.
According to investigators, the individual photographed several sites at the request of an Iranian handler, including the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Ganei Avraham Park in the Bavli neighborhood of Tel Aviv, and the site of a rocket impact in Ramat Gan during Operation Rising Lion. He allegedly received thousands of shekels in cryptocurrency as payment.