An Israeli man has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in an Iranian-backed assassination plot to kill Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Named by Israeli media as Moti Maman, a 72-year-old businessman, the alleged plotter is suspected to have attended at least two meetings in Iran to discuss the possibility of assassinating prominent Israeli officials including Mr Netanyahu.
The arrest took place last month, according to a joint statement by the Shin Bet intelligence agency and the Israeli police.
It highlights an intelligence war running alongside the escalating conflict on Israel’s border with southern Lebanon.
The news comes as Lebanon continues to reel following two waves of blasts from exploding pagers and walkie-talkies linked to the militant group Hezbollah.
According to the Shin Bet statement, the plot went back to April this year when the Israeli, whose identity has not been confirmed by Israel’s authorities, agreed to meet a wealthy businessman living in Iran for business purposes.
Maman was allegedly smuggled into Iran from eastern Turkey, where he met the businessman and others, including a man identified as an Iranian security official, the statement said.
It was proposed that he carry out tasks for Iran including transferring money or a gun, photographing crowded
places or threatening other Israeli civilians operating on behalf of Iran who did not carry out missions they had been requested to.
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He returned to Israel but went back to Iran for a second time in August, smuggled in a truck, the statement said.
On the second visit, Shin Bet said Iranian officials asked him to carry out terrorist attacks and proposed assassinating Mr Netanyahu, Mr Gallant or Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar as well as other operations.
The Israeli man asked for a payment of $1m (£753,000) but Iranian officials refused the request, saying however they would remain in touch, and paying him for joining the meetings.