Indictment filed against seven Israelis suspected for spying for Iran

The State Attorney filed an indictment on Friday at the Haifa District Court against seven residents of Haifa and northern Israel, who were suspected of operating an Iranian spy cell for approximately two years.

They are charged with security offenses, including aiding the enemy during wartime and providing information to the enemy. The State Attorney has requested that they be detained until the end of the legal proceedings.

The investigation revealed that the suspects operated in a cell recruited by an Iranian agent and spent approximately two years gathering information and photographing military facilities and bases, including the Israeli Air Force bases in Nevatim and Ramat David, the Kirya in Tel Aviv, and Iron Dome battery sites.

The main defendant and head of the cell, Aziz Nisanov, 43, was in contact with the handlers and worked to recruit additional members to the cell.

Alexander Sadikov, 58, who served as Nisanov's deputy, was effectively responsible for managing the cell, assigning tasks, and distributing payments among its members.

The third defendant, a minor, served as the primary operative responsible for photographing and sending the materials to the Iranian handlers.

Another minor was involved in photographing tasks, sending materials, and receiving funds from the Iranian agent.

The additional defendants in the case are Yigal Nisan, 20, the son of defendant Nisanov; Vyacheslav Goshchin from Haifa, 46; and Yevgeny Yoffe, 47, from Nof HaGalil.

The defendants carried out approximately 600 missions for the Iranians, divided into three main categories: intelligence gathering on sensitive facilities, military bases, and individual targets, all for the purpose of  Iranian attacks.

According to the indictment, the defendants carried out missions for an individual identifying himself as Elkhan Agayev over the past two years on behalf of Iranian intelligence agencies and another foreign agent known as "Orkhan."

The two maintained regular contact with the defendants and recruited them for various intelligence-gathering missions. These included photographing and collecting information on civilian infrastructure, military bases, defense systems, IDF weaponry, and specific individuals.

Among the bases photographed by the defendants were Tel Nof and Palmachim Air Force bases, Be’er Tuvia, Kiryat Gat, Emek Hefer, and the Glilot complex. 

Additionally, following the Iranian handlers' instructions, the defendants photographed Iron Dome batteries in the Haifa and bayside suburbs areas, the government complex in Haifa, the ports of Haifa, Ashdod, and Eilat, the Hadera power station, and the IDF observation balloon near the Golani Junction.

Among other missions, the cell was instructed to photograph the Nevatim base in April 2024, a day after the base suffered light damage in the April 14 Iranian attack. 

The Iranian handlers sent the defendants the locations for photographing sites, including maps, aerial images, and precise coordinates, and sometimes even specified the exact spots from which they should take the photos.

The handlers also sent the minor defendant coordinates of military bases and strategic sites for future photography missions, including the Golani Brigade Training Base, specifying coordinates for the base’s dining hall, Rafael, and other locations.

Nisanov was asked to gather information regarding a Haifa University expert specializing in gas engineering and Caucasus affairs whose lectures on Iran were published online.

He was also asked to gather details about her family members, vehicle, and schedule.

Tour guides cover story 

Additionally, in case they were caught photographing prohibited areas, Nisanov created a cover story for the cell, portraying them as tour guides. 

For completing the tasks, the defendants received payment and expense reimbursements for each mission, ranging from $500 to $1,200 per mission. The total amount they received reached $300,000, which was divided among the cell members.