Spy

The defendants' lawyer asserted that they acted to "harm and deceive the Iranian enemy and should be awarded the Israel Prize for their contribution to the nation's security."

“If you have access to information in the field of the nuclear industry, talk to us,” the Mossad wrote on its Persian-language Telegram channel. “With us, your future is guaranteed."

According to the indictment, the defendant, named as Raz Cohen, is accused of security offenses and of allegedly providing information related to Iron Dome activity.

Israel has begun targeting security checkpoints based on tip-offs from informants on the ground, representing a new phase of its assault on Iran, a source told Reuters this week.

Iran's intelligence ministry said it had arrested 30 spies, internal mercenaries, and operational agents of Israel and the US over the past few days.

The four were arrested in relation to an ongoing investigation into surveillance of locations linked to Jewish communities.

An Iranian local told KAN Reshet Bet that anti-regime activists would prefer an Israeli strike for its precision, as they await a US attack on the regime amid ongoing protests and brutal crackdowns.

Authorities did not publicly identify the senior official who was allegedly targeted; Israeli media reports identified him as former defense minister Yoav Gallant. 

The cyberattacks involve “targeted phishing,” in which attackers impersonate familiar figures to lure victims into revealing personal information or downloading malicious files.

This marks the second such incident of Chinese nationals being charged under Australia's foreign interference laws, with Australian officials noting the growing issue of foreign espionage.