Israeli-American Yaakov Perl Arrested for Alleged Iran Espionage in Israel

Yaakov Perl, a 49-year-old dual Israeli-American citizen residing in Morocco, was arrested in Israel on suspicion of espionage for Iranian intelligence. Perl initially sought asylum in Iran in 2017 but received no response; by 2023, he was publishing anti-Israel and anti-Zionist content on Telegram and later accepted an Iranian offer to cooperate after the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in 2025. Following failed attempts to recruit others, Perl renewed his Israeli passport and entered Israel in July 2025 to carry out intelligence-gathering tasks, including photographing Israeli streets and collecting information on high-profile figures such as former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. He was compensated in cryptocurrency and acted with full awareness of working for a hostile intelligence service, motivated by ideological opposition to Zionism. An indictment is expected to be filed against Perl in the Tel Aviv District Court, with authorities emphasizing the severity of the case amid ongoing Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis for espionage and terrorism.