Behrouz Sobirgon, a Tajik citizen holding a Russian passport, allegedly documented missile impact sites, the Azrieli Towers, and the Port of Haifa, and assisted in recruiting others, according to a joint investigation by the Shin Bet, Israel Police, and Defense Ministry's Malmab unit.
Tonight (Thu 19:05 Jerusalem), Israeli prosecutors submitted a declaration of intent to file a severe indictment against Behrouz Sobirgon, the Tajik national holding a Russian passport who was arrested on suspicion of espionage for Iran. The move formalizes the case that first emerged when a foreign national was arrested back in June; this evening's filing follows a lengthy joint investigation by the Shin Bet, Israel Police, and the Defense Ministry's Malmab 'Arzim' Major Crimes Unit.
The sequence: The earliest report, published Thu 10:46 Jerusalem, noted that a foreign national holding a Russian passport had been arrested and identified as Behrouz Sobirgon, accused of documenting missile impact sites and recruiting agents. By that same hour, a clearer picture emerged: the Shin Bet announced that Sobirgon had been recruited through a job offer, realized he was in contact with Iranian intelligence but continued, and had, since January 2026—primarily during Operation Rising Lion—documented and transmitted the coordinates of Iranian missile impact sites, provided the location of Tel Aviv's Azrieli Towers, photographed the Port of Haifa, and attempted to photograph a sensitive security facility in northern Israel. Later items confirmed he also assisted Iranian operatives in recruiting additional individuals. The investigation, led by the Defense Ministry's security authority (Malmab) together with the Shin Bet and police, was described as a joint effort that ultimately yielded the prosecutor's statement, followed today by the formal declaration of intent to indict.
As The Zioneer has reported in its broader coverage of the Iran-Israel theater (e.g. on Jun 19, 13:48 Jerusalem, regarding Tehran demands linking Hormuz reopening to Israeli withdrawal), the intelligence threat from Iranian operatives targeting Israeli infrastructure has remained a persistent focus for Israeli security agencies. The Shin Bet, in its public warnings repeated in today's announcement, has emphasized that hostile intelligence organizations continue to use social media and seemingly innocent job offers to recruit individuals inside Israel.
What remains to be seen: the timing of the formal indictment itself, which the declaration of intent precedes, and whether additional suspects or cells were identified through Sobirgon's recruitment efforts — the investigators' statement cited active assistance in recruiting others, but no further arrests have been cleared for publication.
17 developments
- ConfirmedBat Yam resident indicted for spying for Iran, allegedly provided missile-fall information
- StrongHaifa resident charged with spying for Iran during wartime
- DevelopingIndictment filed against Tayibe residents who aided the Tsur Yitzhak attacker
- StrongKnesset employee suspected of spying for Iran
Source and signal
- Internal intake