A 22-year-old Israeli from northern Israel was arrested last month on suspicion of working for Iran and manufacturing explosives as part of an alleged plot to assassinate former prime minister Naftali Bennett, authorities revealed Thursday after the Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court lifted a gag order on the case.

The suspect, Ami Gaydarov of Haifa, was detained along with three other young men from the Haifa area. Investigators say the group carried out serious espionage activities for Iran in exchange for roughly 80,000 shekels, or about $26,000.

According to a joint investigation by Lahav 433 and the Shin Bet, Gaydarov allegedly initiated contact with an Iranian operative in August of last year while searching for ways to earn money. He then began performing tasks for the handler, receiving payment through cryptocurrency and PayPal.

Authorities say the case escalated when the Iranian handler instructed Gaydarov to acquire dual-use chemicals, materials with both civilian and military applications. Under those instructions, investigators say, Gaydarov produced 8–10 kilograms of explosive material in his home. Police believe the explosives were intended for an attack targeting Bennett.

Investigators say Gaydarov tested the material in an underground parking garage, causing a powerful blast, and filmed the experiment with two friends.

Gaydarov also passed sensitive wartime information to his Iranian handler during Iranian missile attacks on Israel. He allegedly provided details about missile impact sites in Haifa, a city with strategic infrastructure including oil refineries and a major port. He also photographed those facilities and relayed information about civil-defense alerts and Home Front Command sirens.

Superintendent Maor Goren, who heads the investigative team, told Ynet that Gaydarov and the Iranian handler began working together in September 2025. The activity paused after several months but resumed in March 2026, days after the war began. From that point until the night before his arrest, Goren said, Gaydarov allegedly carried out assignments that included photographing strategic sites, documenting missile impacts and interceptions, and attempting to locate a U.S. Navy destroyer expected to dock in Haifa.

“He was carrying out operations for the Iranians up until the night before his arrest,” Goren said.

Investigators say Gaydarov initially approached several Iranians on his own before being directed to a single handler. The Shin Bet monitored his activity for months, along with four other young men who allegedly assisted him. Five suspects were initially marked for arrest; one was later released. The remaining four are expected to face serious indictments.

Gaydarov is expected to be charged with contact with a foreign agent, aiding the enemy during wartime, and preparing and possessing explosive material. The other suspects are not accused of direct contact with Iranian intelligence.

According to investigators, Gaydarov responded to Iranian messages through Telegram groups advertising easy money for remote work. They say he was aware that he was contacting Iranian intelligence handlers. At first, he was given simple test missions—taking photos, sending locations—to assess his reliability. Once he was paid, investigators say, he became further entangled.

The operation escalated when Gaydarov was allegedly instructed to buy chemicals from retail pharmacies to manufacture TATP, a highly unstable explosive widely associated with terrorist attacks. Authorities say he bought the materials in Haifa and produced the explosive in an apartment he rented, documenting the process in photos and videos sent to his handler. He also recruited friends to help purchase materials.

At one point, investigators say, Gaydarov and a friend tested the explosive in a parking garage, producing a strong blast. Fearing surveillance, Gaydarov later transferred the explosives to another friend, who disposed of them on his own initiative.

Several additional Israelis from northern Israel, including Sergey Libman and Eduard Shovtiyuk, were arrested for questioning. Investigators say they helped Gaydarov buy materials, hide the explosives, and test them.

During Operation Roaring Lion, investigators say, Gaydarov was instructed to send Iran photographs of Haifa port and missile impact sites, and to locate an apartment overlooking the port where a fixed surveillance camera could be installed.

Authorities say Gaydarov received more than 70,000 shekels, or about $22,000, for his activities.

Superintendent Goren emphasized the danger posed by the quantity of explosive material Gaydarov allegedly produced. He noted that each of the devices detonated last year on buses in Bat Yam contained 300 grams of explosive material and caused an enormous blast. The suspect, he said, produced nearly 30 times that amount.

Goren added that the contact with the Iranian handler had not yet reached the stage of assigning specific targets for planting the device.

Investigators say the real-time information Gaydarov passed during the war directly aided Iran.

“They don’t know where the missile impacts are, and he was passing along reports he gathered from the media or photographed himself,” Goren said. “He was filming interceptions and sending them to the handler, which could clearly help the Iranians analyze the situation.”

Authorities say the suspects initially denied the allegations but later confessed and expressed remorse when confronted with evidence gathered during the covert phase of the investigation.

Gaydarov allegedly directed his four friends, including one who survived the Nova music festival massacre in October 2023, paying each of them several hundred shekels from the money he received.

Raouf Naggar, an attorney with the public defender’s office representing one of the suspects, said: “This is a person suffering from a complex medical and psychological condition. He fully cooperated with investigators. We will respond in detail after receiving the indictment and case materials.”

According to police, Lahav 433 and other units have opened 60 investigations in recent years into Israelis suspected of spying for Iran, all of which resulted in serious indictments.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)