Foiled Iranian Plot Targeted Israel's Defense Chief, Authorities Say

By Kamaran Aziz

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) — An Israeli man arrested earlier this year was reportedly involved in an Iranian plot to assassinate Defense Minister Israel Katz, according to a new report by Israel’s Channel 12 and the Times of Israel, which sheds light on a broader Iranian espionage campaign targeting senior Israeli officials.

The suspect, 24-year-old Roy Mizrahi, is accused of planting powerful explosives near Katz’s residence in the town of Kfar Ahim as part of what Israeli authorities described as “an Iranian plot to assassinate him.”

Channel 12 reported that Mizrahi had been charged with “aiding an enemy at a time of war.” The explosives were reportedly intended to detonate as Katz passed nearby. While the report did not specify the proximity or readiness of the device, it claimed that the plot “came very close to succeeding.”

The report also indicated that the planned assassination of Katz was only one of several Iranian efforts to target Israeli leaders in the event of full-scale war.

Mizrahi and his associate, 24-year-old Almog Atias, were arrested in April following a joint investigation by the Israeli domestic intelligence service Shin Bet and the Lahav 433 major crimes unit. Both men are residents of Nesher, near Haifa.

According to Channel 12, Mizrahi was first recruited through a Telegram channel by an Iranian agent known as “Alex.” Mizrahi, in turn, recruited Atias. The pair began by filming sensitive locations such as the Shin Bet headquarters and the Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv.

Their handlers then instructed them to plant two spy cameras in Katz’s hometown. After retrieving the cameras from a house in Holon, Mizrahi and Atias traveled to Kfar Ahim but aborted the mission when a passing security vehicle raised their suspicions. They allegedly threw the cameras into nearby bushes.

Subsequently, “Alex” proposed that Mizrahi assassinate a scientist at the Weizmann Institute for $1 million. Mizrahi reportedly refused after his handler declined to pay half the sum upfront.

Later, a second Iranian operative, “Getz,” contacted Mizrahi and instructed him to place explosives near Katz’s home. Mizrahi collected the devices—hidden in a blue bag—and placed them at an undisclosed location in Kfar Ahim. He was reportedly paid in cryptocurrency and is said to have brought part of the explosives home.

His lawyer described him to Channel 12 as “a foolish youth who had caused no harm to state security.”

Israeli authorities allege that Mizrahi had been in contact with Iranian agents throughout 2025 and carried out multiple intelligence-gathering missions, some of which included Atias. Superintendent Maor Goren noted that during the recent 12-day war with Iran, it became apparent that sites targeted by Iran were those previously filmed by Israeli citizens acting on Tehran’s behalf.

The incident is part of a growing trend. In recent months, Israeli security services have arrested several individuals suspected of spying for Iran. Just last week, three Israelis were detained on similar charges. One is accused of gathering intelligence on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s future daughter-in-law; another allegedly photographed government officials’ homes and military installations.

In May, an 18-year-old named Moshe Attias from Yavne was charged with spying on former prime minister Naftali Bennett during his hospitalization. In another case in January, two IDF reservists, Yuri Eliasfov and Georgi Andreyev, were arrested for allegedly passing sensitive data on Israel’s Iron Dome system to Iran for payments as low as $50.

These incidents underscore an intensifying campaign by Iran to recruit operatives within Israel, with authorities warning that such operations not only threaten national security but also highlight the vulnerability of digital platforms like Telegram in facilitating hostile intelligence activity.