Israel warns citizens over Iran online recruitment attempts

Israel's police and domestic intelligence agency on Thursday issued a warning over attempts by Iranian services to infiltrate and recruit Israelis online.

Israel, in coordination with the United States, began striking Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and sparking a rapidly escalating regional war.

"The Shin Bet and the Israel Police reiterate their warning to the public against maintaining contact with Iranian intelligence elements online and carrying out security-related tasks at their direction," the two organisations said in a joint statement.

"Over the past year... attempts by Iranian intelligence elements to recruit Israelis via social networks have intensified, for the purpose of carrying out missions aimed at gathering intelligence on strategic targets, the whereabouts of individuals and critical infrastructure," it added.

The statement said that efforts by "Iranian elements" to recruit Israeli citizens online were even taking place during Israel's current operation against the Islamic republic.

"In this context, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police are acting to arrest Israelis suspected of maintaining contact with Iranian intelligence elements," the statement said.

It added that since the start of strikes against Iran on Saturday, the Shin Bet and police had uncovered 16 such security-related cases.