The Shin Bet announced on Friday that a father and son from northern Israel were arrested last month for alleged spying on behalf of Iran amid the ongoing conflict.
Tahrir Safadi, 21, from the Druze village of Mas’ade in the Golan Heights, reportedly collected sensitive military intelligence under the direction of his father, Bassem Safadi. While Tahrir was charged with espionage, Bassem, previously detained in 2016 for terrorism support and incitement, was placed under administrative detention by order of Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Investigations revealed that Tahrir passed information on Israeli military movements and deployments to Hussam as-Salam Tawfiq Zidan, a Damascus-based journalist working for the Iranian state-owned Al-Alam News Network. Zidan, affiliated with the Palestinian branch of Iran’s Quds Force, coordinates terror activities against Israel.
The father and son allegedly took photos of military personnel, equipment, and locations, and during the war, Tahrir provided accurate coordinates of Hezbollah missile strikes inside Israel.
The Shin Bet and Israel Police emphasized that Iran’s Shiite axis seeks to recruit Israeli citizens to spy and facilitate terror attacks, underscoring the serious threat posed to Israeli security. Authorities pledged continued efforts to thwart such espionage and bring suspects to justice.
