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A father and son from the Druze village of Mas’ada in the Golan Heights have been charged with espionage for Iran, according to an announcement made by Israeli authorities on Friday.
Tahrir Safadi, 21, and Bassam Safadi, 43, were arrested in November 2024 under suspicion that they were recruited by Iranian operatives to spy on Israel, particularly during the ongoing conflict.
The investigation, led by Israel’s Shin Bet security service and Israel Police, uncovered that the two men were allegedly working under the direction of the Iranian Quds Force.
Tahrir, a software engineering student, has now been formally indicted for espionage. His father, Bassam, who was previously arrested eight years ago for incitement to violence, has been placed under an administrative detention order.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed this week that the detention order for Bassam Safadi would remain in effect.
Bassam Safadi’s involvement in espionage traces back to his role as a correspondent for the Iranian state-run Al-Alam network, where he primarily covered Israel’s oil drilling operations in the Golan Heights.
Authorities said he had maintained this connection with Iran for years, despite earlier brushes with the law. Tahrir, on the other hand, allegedly served as an intelligence collector, gathering sensitive data about Israel Defense Forces (IDF) activities in the Golan Heights region.
The Safadi duo’s espionage activities reportedly included photographing IDF troops, tank movements, and the positioning of military equipment.
Tahrir was also said to have gathered intelligence on rocket impacts and other military operations, which were passed along to Hossam Aa-Salam Tawfiq Zidan, a journalist working for Iran’s Al-Alam network.
Zidan, a Damascus resident, has been linked to the Palestinian branch of the Quds Force, a group that supports Palestinian terror organizations.
According to authorities, Zidan directed the Safadis to undertake covert missions in which they gathered intelligence on the Israeli military’s activities, providing vital details that would benefit Iran’s strategic objectives in the region.
The relationship between the Safadi family and the Quds Force was revealed after a detailed investigation, which included monitoring communications and intercepting intelligence exchanges.
The espionage case highlights the ongoing concern over Iranian efforts to infiltrate and gain intelligence from Israeli territory, particularly in sensitive regions like the Golan Heights.
The area, which has seen repeated tensions and military confrontations, remains a critical point of interest for both Israeli and Iranian operatives.
The Safadi case underscores the challenges faced by Israeli authorities in combatting foreign espionage and the continued threat posed by Iran’s regional ambitions.
The Safadis’ arrest and the ongoing investigation serve as a stark reminder of the security concerns in the Golan Heights, a region that remains under Israeli control despite Syria’s claims.
This case also marks another chapter in the complex and often covert nature of Israeli-Iranian relations, which have been marked by espionage, cyber-attacks, and indirect military confrontations for years.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the Safadi case is expected to further illuminate the methods and tactics used by foreign operatives attempting to undermine Israeli security.