Khaberni - Investigations in Israel have unveiled an Iranian espionage network that infiltrated the Israeli Air Force, in a case described as "the most dangerous of its kind" which involved the person of the extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
This incident represents a severe security blow and a shocking event that has shaken Israel, where the news struck the Israeli leadership like lightning. The indictment expected to be filed next week against two active-duty air force soldiers, detained for about a month, includes charges of "aiding the enemy in time of war," one of the most serious charges under Israeli military law.
In the details of the case, the investigations revealed that the Iranian operatives did not limit themselves to gathering information about military bases and sensitive weapons systems; they also tasked the spies with monitoring and tracking senior Israeli officials, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich personally, in an unprecedented security breach involving one of the most prominent figures of the extreme right in the Israeli government.
According to new information, this isn't an isolated incident but rather an organized espionage network that operated in a coordinated manner. Early in the investigation, additional soldiers were detained, some from very sensitive units including the air defense system, before their files were transferred to the military police for investigation (Metzah).
The case is currently being investigated by both the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the Israeli police, in what observers describe as a "gross security failure" reflecting the depth of Iranian penetration into the Israeli military machinery.
This security scandal further adds to the state of panic and confusion in Israeli circles, especially given the ongoing war, where the charge of "aiding the enemy in time of war" ranks among the most serious allegations that Israeli soldiers could face.
The Israeli security agencies are continuing to investigate whether there are additional leaks of sensitive information, at a time when Israeli security experts describe the case as "one of the most dangerous cases of internal espionage in the history of the air force."
