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By TPS-IL • January 19, 2026

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — As Iran’s regime violently cracks down on unrest at home, Tehran is accelerating a quieter campaign abroad. Experts tell The Press Service of Israel that Iran is increasingly turning to artificial intelligence to supercharge covert influence operations targeting Israel and Western societies, reshaping how disinformation and manipulation are carried out.

For years, Iran has relied on fake online personas, coordinated social media activity, and low-cost psychological pressure. What is changing, analysts warned TPS-IL, is the toolset. Artificial intelligence enables Iranian actors to imitate real people more convincingly, operate across languages fluently, and push narratives at a scale and speed previously difficult to sustain.

The concern is not only technological but strategic. Iran’s expanding use of AI in covert influence campaigns comes amid weeks of internal instability. As the regime suppresses widespread anti-government protests, Tehran is formalizing AI as a national strategic priority. That convergence, analysts warned, could significantly increase the long-term threat to democratic societies.

AI allows Tehran and the regime’s supporters to manufacture images of support or amplify claims when information from inside Iran is tightly restricted. In that environment, AI-driven manipulation becomes harder to verify and easier to weaponize.

“There is no ability today to systematically identify AI-driven influence campaigns,” Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher in the Iran and Shi’ite Axis Program at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies, told TPS-IL.

AI as a State Priority

Iran’s interest in AI is not limited to hackers or marginal influence operators. According to analysis published in December by Dr. Avi Davidi of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, the drive comes from the top.

As recently as April, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described AI as a strategic national issue, warning that future international frameworks could limit access to advanced technologies. He urged Iran to develop what he called the “deep layers” of AI rather than rely on foreign systems.

That directive has been translated into policy. Iran’s parliament approved a National Artificial Intelligence Document outlining state goals, followed by legislation establishing a National Artificial Intelligence Organization under the president’s office. Senior commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have also spoken openly about using AI in military planning, cyber activity, and decision making.

Davidi’s analysis portrays a regime that sees AI not as a side project but as part of its long-term approach to security and power.

According to Citrinowicz, “The regime uses it to create the impression of broad public support.”

He added that AI manipulates the apparent size of crowds in photos and helps the regime portray protesters as rogue activists seeking to harm Iran. “People are being killed in the streets,” he said. “But when everything is shut down inside Iran, AI makes it easier to convince outside audiences.”

Weaponizing AI

As internal challenges mount, Davidi documents Iranian-linked actors exploiting Western-developed AI tools to enhance cyber and influence operations abroad.

One example is the influence group STORM 2035. According to OpenAI reporting cited in Davidi’s analysis, actors tied to the group used ChatGPT to generate content for fake news sites and social media accounts in multiple languages, including English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. The content focused on polarizing issues such as the Israel–Hamas war, U.S. politics, and social divisions in Western societies, enabling Iran to push messaging that appeared local while concealing its origin.

AI is also used for technical cyber activity. Hackers operating under the CyberAv3ngers persona, linked to the IRGC, used generative AI tools to scan networks, research vulnerabilities, and identify common passwords. OpenAI and Google Cloud reporting cited by Davidi shows the group focused on infrastructure and industrial control systems in Israel and parts of Europe, using AI to speed reconnaissance rather than invent new attack methods.

Another group, APT 42, specializes in social engineering and credential theft. Google Cloud research cited by Davidi indicates the group uses AI to tailor phishing messages, research vulnerabilities, and simulate attack scenarios, improving their ability to impersonate targets across languages and cultures.

OpenAI and Google Cloud did not respond to TPS-IL queries.

From Influence to Pressure

These AI-enabled tactics build on a longer pattern. Over the past several years, Iran has run sustained covert campaigns to shape discourse inside Israel and abroad.

In 2022, researchers exposed an Iranian-linked Facebook network posing as Israelis and Palestinians to spread disinformation. More recently, Israeli security officials warned of suspected Iranian operations targeting the Arab community ahead of elections, as well as bot-driven efforts encouraging graffiti and provocation to inflame internal tensions.

Iranian actors have also been linked to phone hacking and unauthorized access attempts against senior Israeli figures, part of a long-range strategy of pressure rather than isolated cyber incidents.

Experts say AI is accelerating these efforts, allowing Iran to produce more convincing content, operate across languages fluently, and expand its reach to North America and Europe.

Israel’s National Cyber Directorate told TPS-IL that while it operates “around the clock” to address cyber threats, public awareness is critical to prevent the spread of unverified content. “Ultimately, public awareness is the first line of defense against influence operations, with or without AI,” a spokesperson said.

‘War Over Knowledge Itself’

Citrinowicz noted that Iran’s AI-driven influence efforts intensified after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack as Tehran sought to weaken Israeli society from within.

AI has reduced gaps that once made Iranian campaigns easier to spot, particularly around language and cultural cues. Deepfakes, avatars, and AI-generated personas are far harder to identify systematically, even as Israel maintains strong cyber defenses.

“Everything we’ve seen, from phone hacking to covert social media campaigns, follows the same logic,” he said. “The goal is to weaken Israeli society internally.”

Israel is due to hold national elections by the end of October, and Citrinowicz warned that Iranian AI operations could severely manipulate the vote. “Artificial intelligence changes the game because it significantly improves Iran’s ability to operate credibly inside Israeli society. This is a very disturbing development,” he stressed.

State Comptroller, Matanyahu Englman has already warned that Israel’s preparations for foreign interference in the elections were “deficient.”

Moran Alaluf, an independent researcher on Iran, described AI as a ״force-multiplier״ for Tehran, enabling it to tailor messages to different audiences at a scale impossible with human operators alone. She warned Iran is likely pursuing independent AI capabilities through cooperation with allies such as China and Russia, while exploiting Western tools in the meantime.

Alex Grinberg, an Iran researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, offered a less pessimistic view. While acknowledging Iran’s technological progress, he noted ideological blind spots and a tendency to project a totalitarian mindset onto democratic societies can expose Iranian operations. Mistakes continue to reveal campaigns, he said.

“Iran is moving from basic tactics like phone hacking to advanced technologies, but it still has clear limitations. Their demonization of Israel prevents them from fully understanding Israeli society, often exposing their influence campaigns,” he said.

All experts agreed that the burden increasingly falls on Western societies to verify what they see online.

They also noted Iran’s AI targeting methods are similar in Israel and abroad – aimed at weakening societies internally and tarnishing Israel’s name – though the scale of activity inside Israel is far greater.

In the U.S. and Europe, Iran has used AI to exploit existing political and social divisions. Iranian-linked actors have generated large volumes of tailored content on elections and the Israel–Hamas war, presenting it as local opinion and creating fake profiles to raise funds for pro-Palestinian causes such as the 2025 Gaza flotilla. More recently, Britain’s Daily Telegraph reported a wave of pro-Scottish independence accounts on X abruptly going dark after Iran imposed a internet blackout.

Taken together, the assessments point to a clear trend: Iran’s use of AI in cyber and influence operations may be uneven and opportunistic, but combined with leadership-driven AI development, it creates a growing long-term risk.

Dr. Daniel Cohen, head of the Policy and Technology Program at the Abba Eban Institute at Reichman University, told TPS-IL that Iran’s use of AI goes beyond deepfakes or synthetic avatars.

“This is going to be a war over knowledge itself,” Cohen said. “The Iranians will try to plant messages inside the sources that train AI models. People will then receive disinformation that serves Iranian interests. That is how knowledge gets shaped. They learned this from Russia.”

Preparing for this next phase requires ensuring AI systems are trained on reliable, authentic information. “We need to be ready for this battle over knowledge so that future AI models are grounded in verified sources, not manipulated narratives,” he said.

Cohen added that as countries race to develop AI, Iran’s covert influence campaigns against Israel and the West are likely to become increasingly sophisticated, scalable, and automated.

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz signed a proclamation today (Thursday) defining Iranian State Bank Melli as a terrorist organization. He did so at the request of security agencies and on the recommendation of the Headquarters for Combating Economic Terrorism at the Ministry of Defense, and in accordance with its authority under Section 11 of the Counter-Terrorism Law.

Bank Mali is a key factor in the Iranian regime’s transfer of funds to terrorist organizations, and serves as the regime’s central financial arm in financing terrorist activity throughout the Middle East and beyond, said Katz’s office.

This is a government bank in the service of the regime that operates one of the regime’s most extensive cover networks, for the purpose of circumventing international sanctions and laundering money. Among other things, the bank provides extensive financial services to Iran’s security forces, including providing bank accounts and transferring funds to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the Quds Force, which are directly involved in financing, directing, and operating terrorist organizations.

“Declaring Bank Mali a terrorist organization will help thwart one of the main funding routes for Iran’s terrorist proxies,” said Katz’s office noting that it was declared a terrorist organization by the United States in 2018.

Israel’s Defense Ministry added that this move, alongside the previous similar decisions regarding the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Bank Mellat, and Bank Shahr, constitutes “another layer in the ongoing effort by the security establishment to damage the economic infrastructure of Iranian terrorism and prevent the financing of the activities of terrorist organizations operating against the State of Israel and its citizens.”

By Pesach Benson • January 15, 2026

Jerusalem, 15 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi on Thursday outlined a sweeping foreign policy and economic vision for a post-Islamic Republic Iran, pledging immediate recognition of Israel, normalized relations with the United States, and an end to Tehran’s military nuclear program if the current regime collapses.

In a video statement shared on X and addressed to “all of our friends around the world,” Pahlavi said a future, free Iran would quickly reverse decades of isolation and confrontation. He argued that the country has been wrongly defined abroad by the policies of its clerical rulers.

“Under the yoke of the Islamic Republic, Iran is identified in your minds with terrorism, extremism, and poverty,” he said. “The real Iran is a different Iran. A beautiful, peace-loving, and flourishing Iran.”

Pahlavi, 65, the son of Iran’s last shah, has lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and has emerged as a prominent opposition figure as protests inside Iran stretch into their third week. Demonstrations have been met with violent crackdowns by security forces. US-based rights group HRANA has confirmed at least 2,615 deaths, while some estimates place the toll significantly higher. Anti-government protests began on December 28 with the collapse of the Iranian rial and rising prices.

Laying out his diplomatic priorities, Pahlavi said Israel would be recognized “immediately” and that Iran would seek to expand the US-brokered Abraham Accords into what he called the “Cyrus Accords.”

“The State of Israel will be recognized immediately,” he said. “We will pursue the expansion of the Abraham Accords into the Cyrus Accords, bringing together a free Iran, Israel, and the Arab world.”

On relations with Washington, Pahlavi pledged a reset after decades of hostility. “Relations with the United States will be normalized, and our friendship with America and her people will be restored,” he said.

Security commitments featured prominently in his remarks. Pahlavi vowed that a new government would dismantle Iran’s nuclear military capabilities and cut off support for armed groups across the region.

“Iran’s nuclear military program will end. Support for terrorist groups will cease immediately,” he said, adding that Iran would work with international partners to combat terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, and extremist Islamism. “Iran will act as a friend and a stabilizing force in the region. And it will be a responsible partner in global security.”

Economically, Pahlavi described Iran as “one of the world’s last great untapped markets,” citing an educated population and a global diaspora. He promised transparent governance, adherence to international standards, and a crackdown on corruption.

“Money laundering will be confronted. Organized corruption will be dismantled. Public institutions will answer to the people,” he said. He also said Iran’s oil and gas reserves would be managed responsibly, making the country a predictable and reliable global energy supplier.

“This is not an abstract vision. It is a practical one,” Pahlavi concluded. “The fall of the Islamic Republic and the establishment of a secular, democratic government in Iran will not only restore dignity to my people, it will benefit the region and the world.”

In 2023, Pahlavi made a landmark visit to Israel, where he visited the Western Wall, joined Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorations, and met with Rabbi Leo Dee, whose wife and daughters were murdered in a Palestinian terror attack.

Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Israeli intelligence also exposed a covert program to complete all components of a nuclear device. During 12 days of fighting, Iranian missile strikes killed 28 Israelis and injured more than 3,000.

By Pesach Benson • January 5, 2026

Jerusalem, 5 January, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli authorities have arrested and indicted a Rishon Lezion resident on suspicion of carrying out intelligence-gathering missions for Iranian operatives, including photographing near the home of former prime minister Naftali Bennett, it was cleared for publication on Monday.

According to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and the israel police, the suspect, Lachao Damsash, was in contact with Iranian intelligence elements and carried out a range of tasks at their direction in exchange for payment. The money was allegedly transferred through digital wallets on the Binance trading platform. Damash was arrested in December.

The investigation found that Damsash was identified after photographing near Bennett’s residence. Damash later told authorities that his handler had instructed him to purchase a road camera, an old mobile phone, and a SIM card to maintain contact. The camera was installed in his vehicle in a way that allowed remote access and live video transmission using a username and password. After parking near Bennett’s home on December 3, security guards approached Damsash, prompting him to flee the scene. He was arrested about a week later.

Prosecutors allege that the defendant also documented a street in Herzliya for several hours using the car-mounted camera. Additional filming missions were allegedly carried out in Yavne and Petah Tikva. He is also accused of traveling to shopping malls in Rishon Lezion and Ashdod, filming his routes, and sending the footage to his handler for payment.

Other tasks included purchasing cigarettes and drinks at kiosks in various cities and sending receipts to the foreign agent. According to the indictment, Damsash continued to act on the agent’s instructions despite suspecting their nature.

Security officials said the case resembles a previously disclosed investigation involving Vadim Kupriyanov, who was also accused of photographing near Bennett’s home and was later indicted on serious espionage charges.

More than 30 Israelis have been charged with espionage on behalf of Iran in 2025.

Israeli Police spokesperson Dean Elsdunne told The Press Service of Israel in July that after agents make contact with an Israeli, “It starts out slowly, with small jobs, and slowly the money increases, and they are asked to do more severe crimes as time goes on.”

Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Israeli intelligence also exposed a covert program to complete all components of a nuclear device. During 12 days of fighting, Iranian missile strikes killed 28 Israelis and injured over 3,000.

By Pesach Benson • December 15, 2025

Jerusalem, 15 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — The Aleh campus in Bnei Brak, a leading Israeli nonprofit center for children and young adults with severe disabilities, reopened Monday, six months after an Iranian missile struck the facility. At the heart of the reopening ceremony, a menorah made from fragments of the missile was lit for the first night of Chanukah.

“We took the darkness and created a miracle from it,” the menorah’s creator, Jerusalem artist Guy Cohen, said.

Aleh provides specialized care for around 260 children and young adults with complex physical and cognitive disabilities. Many require ventilators and round-the-clock medical support. The Bnei Brak campus, which opened in 2019, offers advanced therapies, education, and medical care tailored to their unique needs.

The missile struck in the early hours of June 15, killing a 75-year-old man in a neighboring building. Therapy rooms collapsed, and essential medical equipment was destroyed. As workers cleared the rubble, fragments of the missile were discovered and set aside. They were handed to Cohen, who painstakingly welded and shaped the metal into a menorah.

Days after the attack, during a visit to the ruins by Israel’s President, Aleh CEO Rabbi Yehuda Marmorstein promised the campus would be rebuilt quickly.

“This Menorah stands here as a living testament to the moment we chose not to sink into pain, but to rebuild—faster, stronger, and better,” Marmorstein said. “This is a menorah of faith, of love, and of an entire nation standing behind us. Chanukah teaches that a little bit of light dispels a lot of darkness. In the place where the enemy sought to sow destruction—we have established a fortress of kindness.”

Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to Israeli defense officials, Iran has developed the capacity to rapidly enrich uranium and assemble nuclear bombs, with sufficient fissile material for up to 15 weapons.

During 12 days of fighting, Iran launched roughly 550 ballistic missiles and 1,000 drones at Israel, most of which were intercepted. However, at least 31 missiles struck populated areas, and one drone hit a home. The attacks killed 28 Israelis and injured more than 3,000.

In recent weeks, the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) has identified a large-scale phishing campaign targeting organizations, employing a method that appears highly credible to recipients. The systematic attack attempts are attributed to the Iranian-linked attack group MuddyWater. A special report on the campaign was released today and will be presented during Cyber Week (CyberWeek) at Tel Aviv University.

As part of the attacks, threat actors breach legitimate organizational email accounts and use them to distribute phishing emails that appear authentic – featuring proper Hebrew, content tailored to the organization’s field of activity, and attachments with relevant filenames. The emails include a malicious Word document, and once the user clicks “Enable Content,” the malicious tool takes control of the workstation. The messages are customized to match the organization’s environment, including the use of official-looking logos, signatures, and documents.

Upon opening the file, a dedicated attack tool known as BlackBeard is installed on the endpoint. This relatively new malware enables the attacker to gain full control of the system, map the environment, bypass security products, and download additional attack components as needed. From the moment of infection, the compromised user’s email account is leveraged to further propagate the attack both inside and outside the organization, reaching thousands of recipients. The malware employs stealthy persistence techniques that allow it to remain active without appearing in locations commonly monitored by security tools. This operational pattern is highly consistent with MuddyWater’s known tactics and has been observed in previous attacks in Israel.

MuddyWater, which operates under Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, focuses on intelligence collection and establishing long-term footholds within target networks. In recent years, the group has consistently attempted to attack Israeli entities, including government, healthcare, education, and small-to-medium-sized businesses. The group combines self-developed tools with distributed command-and-control infrastructures. Its attack attempts have also been identified in other countries, including Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan, the United States, Egypt, and Nigeria.

The Israel National Cyber Directorate calls on organizations across Israel to exercise heightened vigilance, strictly implement several critical protective measures, and review the published indicators of compromise (IOCs) and recommended mitigation actions.

According to INCD cyber researchers, authors of the report: “The recent attacks once again demonstrate persistent attempts by Iranian actors to infiltrate Israeli networks and establish long-term presence within them. The impersonation, precise language, and legitimate-looking files are all designed to bypass human instinct and lure users into opening the malicious attachment. A single successful intrusion of this kind can rapidly escalate into a widespread attack across entire organizations. This is why the INCD continues to issue updates, warnings, and hands-on guidance to organizations in order to reduce risk and strengthen national cyber resilience.”

Click here for the full report

By Pesach Benson • December 4, 2025

Jerusalem, 4 December, 2025 (TPS-IL) — An Ashkelon resident has been charged with security offenses after allegedly maintaining months-long contact with Iranian intelligence operatives, Israeli authorities said on Thursday.

According to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Police, Amir Malka, 37, was arrested in November after being in communication with Iranian intelligence officials for several months. The Shin Bet said Malka had been asked to carry out a series of tasks on their behalf. During this period, he allegedly received thousands of dollars in payments.

An indictment against Malka is expected to be filed later today in the Beer-Sheva District Court.

The Shin Bet and police reiterated their warning to Israelis to avoid any contact with foreign elements from enemy states or unidentified individuals online.

“Intelligence and terror organizations from enemy countries continue their efforts to recruit and operate Israelis for the purpose of carrying out security, terror, and espionage missions,” they said, noting that recruitment attempts often take place via social media.

More than 30 Israelis have been charged with espionage on behalf of Iran in 2025.

Israeli Police spokesperson Dean Elsdunne told The Press Service of Israel in July that after agents make contact with an Israeli, “It starts out slowly, with small jobs, and slowly the money increases, and they are asked to do more severe crimes as time goes on.”

Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Israeli intelligence also exposed a covert program to complete all components of a nuclear device. During 12 days of fighting, Iranian missile strikes killed 28 Israelis and injured over 3,000.

By TPS-IL • November 25, 2025

Jerusalem, 25 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Two years after Iran-backed Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel, residents of Sderot — one of the hardest-hit communities — launched its first-ever film festival dedicated to Iranian cinema.

The two-day event, which opened on Monday, has already drawn criticism from the Iranian news agency Fars, which accused “Zionists” of taking Iranian films “hostage.”

Dana Sameach, the Israeli founder of the festival, and Younes Sadaghiani, an Iranian-born political analyst hosted by Israel’s Foreign Ministry, told The Press Service of Israel that the festival is about cultural connection, not political confrontation.

“We wanted to do this festival for two reasons: first, to show that from the area of the worst catastrophe in the history of Israel, there is not only grief but culture, with people who know how to reach out their hand in peace and hope for a better future. Second, we wanted to honor Farsi culture. There are many Israelis of Farsi origin, and we want to honor the culture of the Iranian people,” Sameach explained.

Sadaghiani emphasized that Persians and Israelis are not enemies.

“I think the Persian culture and Israeli culture are very, very similar. So when people say they want to make us enemies, we are not enemies. Persians and Israelis are not enemies. It’s the Islamic Republic that is the issue, so we need to get rid of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Republic is not Iran,” he told TPS-IL.

They shared with TPS-IL a report from the Fars website claiming Israel “is attempting to take another Iranian film hostage.” It was referring to the possibility that a film by Asghar Farhadi, one of the most prominent Iranian directors, will be screened at the festival’s closing ceremony.

The report also accused Israel of “killing more than a thousand Iranians during the sacred twelve days of war,” referencing the 12-day air confrontation between israel and Iran last June.

Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. During 12 days of fighting, Iranian missile strikes killed 28 Israelis and injured over 3,000.

The festival includes not only award-winning Iranian films but also Persian music, food, talks, and cultural performances. The program has received full encouragement from Sderot’s municipality, Sameach said, and hundreds are expected to attend.

Sameach added she hopes the festival, titled “Nowruz,” which means “new day” in Farsi, will signal a new dawn in relations with the Iranian people and grow into a yearly cultural tradition in a city still rebuilding from October 7.

By Pesach Benson • November 20, 2025

Jerusalem, 20 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israeli authorities have charged a 21-year-old resident of Beer-Sheva with spying for Iran, alleging he carried out a series of missions on behalf of Iranian intelligence in the weeks before his arrest, it was cleared for publication on Thursday.

According to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Police, Rafael Reuveni — who was arrested in October — established contact with Iranian intelligence operatives and agreed to conduct activities directed against Israeli security. His interrogation showed that he acted “while understanding that he was operating under Iranian direction and that his actions were intended to harm the security of the state.”

The indictment, filed Thursday in the Beer-Sheva District Court, outlines a series of assignments carried out at the instruction of his handlers. Prosecutors say Reuveni sent photographs he took around Beer-Sheva, “hid a phone and a pack of cigarettes for them,” and retrieved a SIM card from a hiding place as part of efforts to maintain covert communication channels.

He was also allegedly asked to check the status of a firearm that had been stashed for later use. “In accordance with these instructions, Reuveni arrived at the hiding place, located an object that appeared to be a gun, and moved it from one point to another,” the indictment states. Officials said Reuveni received substantial payments via digital transfer in return for the missions.

Security officials described the case as part of a persistent pattern of Iranian attempts to recruit Israelis for surveillance and sabotage roles.

The announcement came days after prosecutors filed a separate indictment against Shimon Azarzar of Kiryat Yam, who is accused of sending sensitive photographs and coordinates of strategic sites to Iranian operatives and leveraging information obtained through his partner, a reserve-duty soldier.

More than 30 Israelis have been charged with espionage on behalf of Iran in 2025.

Israeli Police spokesperson Dean Elsdunne recently told The Press Service of Israel in July that after agents make contact with an Israeli, “It starts out slowly, with small jobs, and slowly the money increases, and they are asked to do more severe crimes as time goes on.”

Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to Israeli defense officials, Iran has developed the capacity to rapidly enrich uranium and assemble nuclear bombs, with sufficient fissile material for up to 15 weapons.

Israeli intelligence also exposed a covert program to complete all components of a nuclear device. The strikes marked a dramatic escalation in what officials describe as a broader Iranian strategy combining nuclear development, missile proliferation, and proxy warfare aimed at Israel’s destruction.

During 12 days of fighting, Iranian missile strikes killed 28 Israelis and injured over 3,000.