Israeli authorities said Tuesday they have arrested seven Jerusalem residents in connection with an alleged Iranian-guided plot to assassinate an Israeli scientist and mayor.
It was the latest in a series of similar alleged spy rings foiled by Israel and blamed on Iran, highlighting the ongoing shadow war between two countries even as their conflict has become more direct during the war in Gaza.
A statement by Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet did not name the scientist or the mayor targeted.
It said the seven people arrested were assigned various tasks as part of the alleged plot that also included blowing up a police car and lobbing a grenade to a home. The Iranian agent promised the seven roughly $50,000 dollars in exchange for the acts, the Shin Bet said. It said police found multiple credit cards, tens of thousands of shekels and a fake police car license plate.
The people arrested were not identified but were from a predominantly Palestinian area of Jerusalem, the Shin Bet said.
Tensions between Israel and Iran have soared since the killing in Tehran of Hamas’ leader Ismail Haniyeh, an attack blamed on Israel, and an Iranian missile attack on Israel earlier this month, for which Israel is expected to respond.
