Ami Gaydarov arrested over alleged Iranian-backed explosives plot
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 8
Ami Gaydarov arrested over alleged Iranian-backed explosives plot
7 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 8
Israeli police and Shin Bet said the 22-year-old Haifa resident was detained on 9 March on suspicion of preparing explosives to harm a senior Israeli official.
Police say Iran recruits Israelis through WhatsApp, Facebook, freelance-job channels and pornography sites, using money, blackmail and emotional manipulation to gather intelligence for attack planning.
Authorities have investigated more than 20 alleged Iranian espionage cases involving 40 to 50 suspects in 18 months, while some prosecutions advance, including a 10-year sentence for Moti Maman.
Why are Israelis risking the death penalty to spy for Iran for as little as twenty-one dollars?
Is Iran's AI-powered espionage making Israel's advanced cyber defenses obsolete?
How will Iran's new militarized leadership reshape its shadow war strategy against Israel and its allies?
Iranian Espionage and Terrorism in Israel: Recruitment, Cryptocurrency, and Military Retaliation in 2026
Overview
In March 2026, Israeli security forces foiled a major Iranian-backed terror plot by arresting Ami Gaydarov and his accomplices, who had established a bomb lab in Haifa to manufacture explosives and conducted surveillance on strategic sites. This plot was part of Iran's intensified recruitment campaign using encrypted platforms and cryptocurrency payments since 2023. The arrests occurred amid Operation Roaring Lion, a large Israeli-US military campaign launched in February 2026 that decapitated Iran's leadership and triggered Iranian missile retaliations across the Middle East. These events heightened global terrorism concerns, exposed internal espionage threats in Israel, and prompted stricter counter-espionage measures and legal actions to safeguard national security.