Israel’s internal security agency announced that it thwarted an Iranian espionage attempt, arresting and deporting one Iranian Jew, who flew into the Jewish state with a tissue box in his luggage, where he had hidden surveillance equipment.

Jewish Iranian stopped at airport on spying suspicions, sent back to Iran – Shin Bet https://t.co/36F31DozJC

— TOI Israel Region (@TOIIsraelRegion) August 11, 2023

The Shin Bet reported that the man, who has relatives in Israel, admitted at the time of the interrogation at Ben Gurion Airport that he arrived in the country to spy on Israeli targets for the benefit of Iranian security agents.

The agency said the man, who was found with mobile phones, power supplies, and money, was denied entry and deported back to Iran.

This incident is part of a broad Iranian effort to establish espionage and terror networks in Israel, the Shin Bet reported in a statement. Asked why the suspect was deported rather than prosecuted, a security official told Reuters that the agency believed the man was acting under duress and his motive was financial.

Israel and Iran have been locked in a shadow war for decades, accusing each other of sabotage and assassination plots.

According to the World Jewish Congress, there were about 80,000 Jews in Iran on the eve of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, most of whom have since left the country, but the community is still believed to be the largest in the Middle East outside of Israel.

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