Iran has declared what it claims to be one of the largest intelligence operations in history against Israel, announcing on June 8 that its operatives have obtained thousands of sensitive documents related to Israel's nuclear programme and military facilities.

Iranian state television reported that the country's intelligence services have acquired "thousands of files related to that regime's nuclear projects and facilities," though no evidence has been provided to substantiate the claims. Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh told Iranian media that "what happened is considered a very large intelligence event, beyond obtaining thousands of documents."

Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib told Iranian state television on June 8 that members of the Intelligence Ministry "achieved an important treasury of strategic, operational and scientific intelligence of the Zionist [Israeli] regime and it was transferred into the country with God's help."

He claimed thousands of pages of documents had been obtained through "infiltration" and "access to the sources" and insisted they would be made public "soon."

The Iranian announcement specifically linked the alleged intelligence coup to Roy Mizrahi and Almog Atias, both 25 years old from Nesher near Haifa, who were arrested by Israeli authorities in late April on charges of conducting espionage operations for Iranian handlers.

The case reveals how Mizrahi reportedly fell into heavy gambling debt before being contacted by Iranian operatives through a swingers' group on Telegram. According to the indictment, Mizrahi received a private message reading: "I'm from the Iranian agency, come earn a lot of money with us doing simple tasks."

What began as seemingly innocuous assignments gradually moved into serious intelligence operations. Mizrahi was initially asked to photograph areas around his home and document a car dealership's sales board, before being instructed to burn a note containing a message against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The most serious alleged mission involved attempting to install surveillance cameras near Defence Minister Israel Katz's residence in Kfar Ahim, with Mizrahi recruiting his childhood friend Atias to assist. The two purchased equipment and drove to the location at night but abandoned the mission when they spotted what they believed to be a security patrol.

According to the indictment, Mizrahi later completed other missions including transferring a bag believed to contain explosives from one location to another, for which he was paid 4,000 shekels.

The arrests mark the 20th case handled by Israeli police and the Shin Bet security service over the past year involving Israelis suspected of spying for Iran. A Shin Bet report revealed that 2024 saw a 400% increase in espionage cases compared to the previous year.

Iran's alleged intelligence victory, if genuine, would represent a dramatic shift in the shadow war between the two nations, particularly given Israel's success in 2018 when Mossad agents stole half a ton of documentation about Iran's nuclear programme from a warehouse in south Tehran which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then showed on television.

Defence Minister Katz responded to the arrests by stating: "I will not be deterred by any threat and will continue to fulfil my commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons," Mako reported.