イラン「スパイネットワーク」　ＦＢでイスラエル人女性を勧誘か

【エルサレムＡＦＰ＝時事】イランの「スパイネットワーク」がフェイスブックを使ってイスラエル人女性を勧誘し、米大使館の写真撮影などのスパイ活動を行わせていたと、イスラエルの治安機関シンベトが１２日発表した。（写真は資料写真）
　シンベトによると、複数の女性を勧誘していたイランの情報員は「ランボッド・ナムダル」と名乗り、イラン在住のユダヤ人だと主張。フェイスブックで接触した後は、暗号化メッセージアプリ「ワッツアップ」で連絡を取り合うよう要求していた。
　勧誘を受けた女性の中には「男をイランの情報員ではないかと疑いつつも連絡を取り続け、依頼されたさまざまな仕事を引き受け、金銭を受け取っていた者がいた」という。主だった容疑者は４人で、すでに起訴されたとしている。
　このうち４０歳の女は数年にわたって「ランボッド」と接触し、テルアビブの米大使館の隠し撮りや、地元ホロンにある内務省関連施設の内部撮影など、さまざまな任務をこなしていたとされる。「ランボッド」はまた、機密文書を入手するため、この女に指示して軍入隊を控えた息子にイスラエル軍情報局に入局するよう誘導させたとみられている。
　５７歳の女も、息子を軍情機関に入れたり国会（クネセト）議員と親しくなったりする任務を請け負い、４年余りで「合わせて約５０００ドル（約５８万円）を数回に分けて受け取った」とされる。
　イランをめぐっては現在、オーストリア・ウィーンで２０１５年に締結されたイラン核合意の再建に向けた協議が行われている。宿敵イランの核兵器開発に懸念を強めるイスラエルは、協議参加国ではないものの、展開を注視している。
　こうした中でのスパイネットワーク疑惑発覚を受け、ナフタリ・ベネット首相は、「ソーシャルメディアで消費したり共有したりする情報の裏には、イラン人がいるかもしれない」と国民に警戒を呼び掛けた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/01/14-11:16）

An Iranian espionage network used Facebook to recruit Israeli women who were manipulated into photographing the US embassy and other activities, the Shin Bet domestic security agency said Wednesday.
The women, whom the Shin Bet did not identify, were recruited by an Iranian agent who called himself Rambod Namdar and said he was a Jew living in Iran, the Israeli agency said in a statement.
Despite the fact that the women suspected that the man in question was an Iranian intelligence operative, some of them maintained contact with him, agreed to perform various tasks he asked of them and received funds from him, it said.
After being approached through Facebook, Rambod asked that communication continue using the encrypted messaging app WhatsApp, the Shin Bet added.
It said there were four prime suspects, and indictments have been issued.
One of the women, aged 40, was allegedly in contact with Rambod for several years and carried out various missions.
These included covertly photographing the US embassy in Tel Aviv, and taking pictures inside the interior ministry in her hometown of Holon.
Rambod also asked the woman to guide her son, prior to his military enlistment, into the Intelligence Directorate with the aim of obtaining sensitive documents, the Shin Bet alleged.
Another suspect, aged 57, was also tasked with steering her son towards military intelligence.
She received an accumulated sum of about $5,000 on several occasions over a period of more than four years, the Shin Bet said.
Her other missions allegedly included trying to get close to a member of Israel's Knesset, or parliament.
The woman transferred information about their relationship to her operator, said the Shin Bet, which jointly investigated with Israeli police.
- Shadow war -
The Shin Bet's accusations about the spy network come during negotiations in Vienna between Iran and world powers seeking to revive a 2015 agreement that offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.
Israel is not a party to the Vienna talks but is watching with concern, fearing arch-enemy Iran could develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful.
The State of Israel is in an ongoing campaign with Iran. It is clear: We see never-ending efforts and attempts by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to recruit Israeli citizens, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said.
These attempts go beyond security and intelligence. They are expanding to efforts to influence the citizens of Israel and Israeli society, sow discord and polarisation, undermine political stability in Israel and damage the public's trust in the government, he added.
Bennett urged Israelis to be cautious, saying: It is possible that behind the information that you consume or share on social media are the Iranians.
In November, Israel indicted a man employed as a cleaner in the home of Defence Minister Benny Gantz for attempting to spy for the Black Shadow hacking group, which is purportedly linked to Iran.
Black Shadow hacks are seen as part of a years-long covert war between Israel and Iran, including physical attacks on ships and cyber offensives.