ISRAEL today claimed to have smashed an Iranian plot to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An Israeli civilian was arrested last month amid claims he was recruited by Iran to assassinate Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant or Shin Bet intelligence chief, Ronen Bar.
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But Shin Bet agents and police unearthed the plot and discovered alleged traitor Moti Maman, 73, had been smuggled into Iran twice to hone deadly plans.
The would-be assassin – said to have demanded £750,000 ($1 million) to carry out a hit – was indicted today and is said to be assisting Shin Bet interrogators.
Investigators say the Jewish Israeli civilian was a businessman who lived for lengthy periods in Turkey, where he befriended Turkish and Iranian nationals.
In April 2024, the suspect agreed – through the mediation of Turks Andrey Aslan and Junayd Aslan – to meet with a rich businessman living in Iran named only as Eddy.
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In May the Israeli agreed to be smuggled into Iran via a land crossing near the eastern Turkish city of Van and met Eddy and an Iranian security agent named only as Khwaja.
The prospective hitman was then offered deals to carry out missions in Israel for the Iranian regime.
The task initially included sending money or a handgun to specified locations, taking photos of crowded public areas, and threatening other Israeli civilians said to be working for Iran.
In August, Moti returned to Iran a second time, crossing from Turkey hidden inside a truck, according to the investigation.
And at this meeting at Eddy’s house, Iranian intelligence officials asked him to “advance assassination attacks” on Netanyahu and top aides, Shin Bet said.
Iranian intelligence officials also suggested assassinating other senior officials, including former prime minister Naftali Bennett.
Shin Bet said the plan was intended to avenge Israel’s hidden bomb assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.
According to the investigation, Maman asked for $1 million in advance before carrying out any of the tasks but ended up taking a downpayment of £4,200 (Euro 5,000).
Maman is now also being quizzed over further Iranian requests to place money at various locations in Israel for others who are being operated by Iran.
Other plans suggested were for Maman to locate Russians or Americans and task them with assassinating Iranian dissidents in Europe and the US, and to recruit a Mossad double agent.
Mamam – pictured smiling in custody yesterday in brown prison-issue clothing – was arrested and questioned last month but the detention was only made public today.
His arrest is yet another blow to Iran and threatens to lift the lid on their network of agents operating inside Israel.
It was announced hours after the second wave of booby-trap pagers and walkie-talkies on Iran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon left 32 dead and injured thousands.
Israeli spies had carefully planted explosives in thousands of pagers before detonating them by sending a coded message.
The blasts will further stoke tensions in the Middle East in what officials fear could be a “pre-emptive strike” – with Israel also deploying troops to the border.
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant declared the start of a “new phase” of war as the country’s army moved north.
Iran has long been known to recruit criminals and thugs as proxies to carry out its sinister plots on foreign soil.
They are often lured with money to carry out assassination attempts and kidnappings inside Europe and America.