An Israeli businessman was clandestinely brought into Iran with the intent to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several other senior Israeli officials, according to police and intelligence authorities on Thursday. This comes amid escalating tensions following Trojan Horse attacks that resulted in the deaths of numerous Hezbollah fighters and civilians in Lebanon, injuring thousands more.

This assassination scheme was partially fueled by a desire for revenge for the July killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, which the police and the Shin Bet security agency detailed in a joint statement. Haniyeh died in an explosion set off by a concealed bomb in his guest house in Tehran, an act believed to have been carried out by Israel.

In their statement, Israel’s national police and Shin Bet characterized the unidentified suspect as “a businessman who had been residing in Turkey for a significant time and had ties with Turkish and Iranian individuals both socially and in business.”

The individual was reportedly smuggled into Iran from Turkey on two occasions to confer with Iranian intelligence, the Israeli statement noted. He sought an upfront payment of $1 million to assist in eliminating targets like Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, but ended up receiving only 5,000 Euros for his efforts prior to his arrest by Israeli police last month.

The announcement regarding the suspect’s formal indictment on “serious security” charges coincided with Israel’s military response, which included bombings in southern Lebanon after incidents involving explosives hidden in walkie-talkies and pagers led to chaos for Hezbollah, resulting in casualties.

These attacks on Hezbollah’s communication systems reportedly led to the deaths of 37 individuals and injuries to approximately 3,000, escalating fears of potential widespread conflict. This situation also created panic throughout Lebanon as many residents opted to discard their mobile phones.

In a televised statement on Thursday, Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, pledged that Israel would face “just punishment” and declared that peace would not be achievable along Israel’s northern border unless the ongoing 11-month conflict in Gaza was brought to an end. Israeli fighter jets were reported to be flying over Beirut as he spoke.

Hezbollah, which is situated in southern Lebanon, remains a close ally of Iran in the region.

According to the indictment regarding the alleged assassination operation, the accused was tasked with carrying out surveillance, logistical support, and intimidation on behalf of Tehran. This involved transferring money and weapons to specified drop-off locations, capturing images of crowded areas in Israel and sending them to Iranian operatives, as well as threatening other Israelis who were activated in the country by the Iranian government and failed to complete their assigned tasks, as stated by officials.

Contributing: Reuters