OAN Staff Blake Wolf
6:06 PM – Thursday, September 19, 2024
An Israeli man from the city of Ashkelon who is suspected of working with Iran’s government has been accused of being involved in a plot to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among other top Israeli officials.
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Israeli officials claim that the suspect, Moti Maman, 73, had been smuggled into Iran two separate times while receiving payments upfront to coordinate the assassinations on behalf of Tehran.
Authorities indicted Maman on September 19th.
“The Israeli citizen entered Iran … smuggled through the border hidden inside a truck cabin,” stated Israeli security agency, Shin Bet.
“He met with additional Iranian intelligence agents and was asked by them to carry out activities for Iran on Israeli soil, including promoting assassination attacks,” the agency continued.
What Israeli intelligence officials know so far is that Maman is a businessman who has spent periods of his life in countries like Turkey, where he previously worked with Turkish and Iranian nationals.
Intelligence officials also claimed that during the meeting, Iranian government affiliates had proposed that Maman threaten Israelis to act on behalf of Tehran. They also allegedly requested that he photograph crowded places, in addition to storing weapons and money in specific locations only known to them.
Maman’s first meeting in Iran took place in April, and the second meeting took place last month, which is when Maman was asked to carry out an assassination attempt, Israeli authorities say.
The Shin Bet explained that during the first meeting, Maman had met with an affluent businessman named “Eddy” who was living in Iran. He was also allegedly asked to meet with two other Turkish men who were named by the security agency as “Andrey Farouk Aslan” and “Junayd Aslan,” as he was told to discuss certain “business activities” with the two. Additionally, Maman also reportedly met with another individual named “Khwaja,” who presented himself as a member of Iran’s security forces, according to The Times of Israel outlet.
Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Ronen Bar were all reportedly highlighted as being the top targets.
Within these discussions, Maman had allegedly demanded $1 million in an advance payment, to which Iranian officials dismissed, instead giving him $5,500 while promising more money later on. They also told him to remain vigilant and maintain availability in case they would be requiring his services.
However, Maman’s lawyer described his client’s alleged involvement as an “error of judgment,” arguing that he is now cooperating with the Israeli government in regards to the investigation.
“It can already be said that this is a person who has greatly assisted the security services of the State of Israel, whose children serve in the security forces,” stated Eyal Besserglick, Maman’s lawyer.
Israeli officials further claimed the alleged plot was Iran’s method of revenge for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an airstrike in July.
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