Israeli Police Arrest 20-Year-Old U.S. Citizen on Unproven Iran Espionage Allegations

Israeli authorities arrested a 20-year-old American citizen living in the Jerusalem area on June 9 and accused him of carrying out paid intelligence-gathering missions for Iran. com reported that the arrest followed information from international security partners and was conducted under a sweeping gag order by the Jerusalem District Police’s major crimes unit in cooperation with Shin Bet.

Prosecutors filed a declaration against the suspect around June 30.

Military.com reported that the filing generally signals an indictment is expected soon. The suspect had maintained contact for several months with people acting on behalf of Iranian intelligence agencies, police said, and was asked to document and photograph locations inside Israel, including sensitive sites. Payments for the tasks ranged from tens to hundreds of dollars each.

Military.com reported that expected charges include contact with a foreign agent and harming state security. The suspect’s detention was extended several times while the investigation remained under seal, and prosecutors are expected to ask that he remain in custody through the legal proceedings. Authorities have not publicly released the suspect’s name.

They described him as an American citizen in his 20s who had been living or staying in the Jerusalem area. As of the latest reports, the allegations had not been proven in court. The case fits a pattern of Iranian recruitment efforts inside Israel that often involve digital contact, small payments and tasks such as photographing locations near sensitive sites.

Military.com reported that similar cases have been reported over the past two years, including the June arrest of a Bat Yam man on suspicion of carrying out security-related tasks for Iranian intelligence officials.