In an unexpected and somewhat bizarre new development out of Israel, government authorities say they’ve busted up a significant spy network, arresting seven Israeli citizens for gathering information on behalf of Iranian intelligence.

Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet announced Monday that it “successfully dismantled a spy network involving seven Israeli citizens who were operating on behalf of Iranian intelligence.”

The detained have been identified as Jewish residents of Haifa and the north, even including an IDF soldier who had deserted the military. They have been named in Israeli press reports as Azis Nisanov, Alexander Sadykov, Vyacheslav Gushchin, Yevgeny Yoffe and Yigal Nissan – with the other two names not disclosed as they have been deemed minors.

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