Israeli Security Agency in collaboration with the Israeli Police, successfully intercepted an Iranian effort to recruit Israeli citizens for a potential assassination attempt. During this joint mission, Vladimir Verkhovsky, a 35-year-old resident of Petah Tikva, was detained for agreeing to assassinate an Israeli scientist in exchange for $100,000.
Investigations revealed that Verkhovsky had executed various tasks following Iranian agents’ instructions. These included painting graffiti, distributing leaflets, gathering intelligence on specific Israeli individuals, and establishing infrastructure for future operations. Communication between Verkhovsky and the Iranian operatives was conducted in English, and he was instructed to procure a specialized phone for secure communication. In return for agreeing to assassinate an Israeli scientist, Verkhovsky received a pistol and ammunition.
This morning, Verkhovsky will appear in court in Lod, where the Central District Prosecutor’s Office seeks to extend his detention and bring charges for multiple severe offenses. This case exemplifies Iran’s broader strategy of exploiting social media to recruit Israeli citizens for seemingly innocuous tasks, which ultimately threaten national security.
This incident marks a significant escalation in Iran’s recruitment efforts, following the exposure of a similar espionage plot in 2022, where five individuals were arrested for gathering intelligence on strategic sites, diplomats, and government officials. The common recruitment method involved the use of fake social media accounts, posing as Jewish individuals from Iran.
The head of the International Crime Investigations Unit, stated, “This is one of the gravest instances of Iranian intelligence leveraging Israeli citizens, and in this case, the suspect was prepared to carry out an assassination after being equipped with a firearm and planning an escape to Russia.”
