The charging of CIA official Asif Rahman for allegedly leaking US intelligence of Israeli preparations for retaliatory strikes on Iran in October has brought into open view the shadow war of espionage and counterespionage that has raged between actors locked in a regional conflict for decades.The Iran-based Telegram channel Rahman is accused of leaking to disavows any connection with Iran’s government, but that the affair has embarrassed a US administration reeling from an earlier conviction of another of its officers, Jack Teixeira, for leaking Pentagon papers is undeniable.
The Rahman leak provides a glimpse into the murky interplay of Iranian, Israeli and US spy agencies that have helped shape the current conflict and, almost as importantly, our perception of it.
Catching spies
In late October, Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet, said it had arrested seven Israeli nationals living in occupied East Jerusalem on suspicion of carrying out espionage on Iran’s behalf.
A day earlier, another seven Israeli nationals in Haifa had been arrested on suspicion of aiding the enemy, in this case, Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, in wartime.
Israeli police sources confirmed that more Iran-aligned cells operating in the country are suspected.
This isn’t new. In September, 73-year-old Israeli businessman Moti Maman was also accused by Shin Bet and the Israeli police of working with Iranian intelligence, allegedly offering to kill Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other political figures in return for an advance payment of $1m.
Conversely, Iran has arrested several of its citizens throughout Israel’s war on Gaza on charges of having collaborated wi …