Israeli police, in collaboration with the Shin Bet domestic security service, have arrested a citizen suspected of being recruited by Iranian intelligence to carry out assassinations of top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a joint statement, the suspect had been smuggled into Iran twice and was paid for carrying out missions on behalf of Tehran.
The alleged targets of the plot included Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. Israeli media identified the suspect as Mordechai Maman, a businessman from Ashkelon, born in 1952. Maman had reportedly been in custody since August 29.
The statement revealed that Maman had lived in Turkey for an extended period, where he developed connections with Turkish and Iranian individuals. He was introduced via phone to an Iranian businessman named Eddie and first visited Iran in May 2024 to meet him. During the trip, Maman also met an Iranian operative named Hajjah and was tasked with completing security-related missions in Israel, including transferring money or a gun and taking photos of public places. He was also asked to intimidate other Israelis recruited by Iran.