Revealed: Israeli Bedouin Transferred Information to Iranian Agent

An Israeli Bedouin handed over sensitive information to Iranian intelligence officials recently, the Shin Bet revealed Monday.

The suspect in question, identified as Yakub Abu al-Kiyan, a Bedouin from the town of Hura in southern Israel, was arrested on June 10, after he allegedly illegally transferred information to Iran.

According to Israeli security officials, Abu al-Kiyan made the transfer via a Lebanese-Iraqi proxy.

Investigators found that Abu al-Kiyan – who has close ties to several prominent figures in Israel – was in contact with Khaider al-Mashhadani, an agent for Iran’s intelligence-gathering efforts. Abu al-Kiyan ran for the Knesset on former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon’s Telem list, which later dropped out of the race.

While in contact with al-Mashhadani, Abu al-Kiyan is said to have kept Iran up to date on recent events in Israel.

The two were also reportedly involved in joint business ventures.

Though Abu al-Kiyan was initially unaware that al-Mashhadani was working on behalf of Iranian intelligence, once he realized whom al-Mashhadani was working for, Abu al-Kiyan was not deterred from continuing to work with the Iranian agent, and even sought a meeting with al-Mashhadani’s handlers, though the meeting was never held.

On Monday, Southern District prosecutors filed serious indictments for contact with a foreign agent and passing information to the enemy against Abu al-Kiyan in the Southern District Court in Be’er Sheva.