A 20-year-old US citizen living in Jerusalem is set to be charged with spying for Iran, according a police statement issued Tuesday, ahead of the individual’s indictment.
The US citizen was detained by Israeli authorities on June 9, but the case is only this week being revealed. Israel's police say he maintained contact with an Iranian intelligence-linked handler. According to the police, he captured photographs and videos of "sensitive" Israeli sites.
Getty ImagesThe statement also claimed he received "dozens to hundreds" of dollars for each task he carried out on behalf of Iranian intelligence. The suspect’s activities were being carried out in the past few months, according to the authorities.
A prosecutor’s declaration was filed against the US citizen on Tuesday. He will be officially charged with espionage in the near future.
Israeli police are requesting that the alleged Iran-linked spy remain imprisoned until legal proceedings conclude.
Israel has witnessed a major surge in Iranian espionage activity over the past year. Early last month, Tel Aviv indicted one Israeli citizen and three soldiers for cooperating with Iranian intelligence services and carrying out espionage work, including capturing photos
