INTERNACIONAL
Israeli police say Iran using WhatsApp, Facebook, blackmail to recruit spies as latest attempt foiled
Fmr Mossad counterterrorism head discusses Israeli intelligence on Iran
Oded Ailam, a former Mossad counterterrorism head and JCSFA Senior Researcher, reveals Israeli intelligence’s strategy to harness internal Iranian dissent. Mossad has issued a message in Farsi, asking Iranian citizens to provide photos and videos of oppressive regime forces. Ailam notes Israel’s 2,200+ strikes against Iran-connected targets this week, including a natural gas field and Hezbollah assets in Lebanon.
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The arrest of two Israeli Air Force personnel on allegations of espionage has underscored Iran’s expanding efforts to penetrate Israel’s military by recruiting operatives from within.
Over the past year and a half, Israeli police, working alongside the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), have investigated more than 20 cases involving an estimated 40 to 50 suspects. Most remain in custody, though investigators believe additional suspects are still at large.
Capt. Sefi Berger of the Israel Police’s Lahav International and Major Crimes Unit, which investigates Iranian espionage cases, told Fox News Digital that Tehran primarily seeks intelligence that could aid attack planning, along with information on high-profile individuals and other sensitive targets.
IRAN ARRESTS DOZENS ACCUSED OF SPYING FOR ISRAEL IN NEW INTERNAL CRACKDOWN
Ami Gaydarov was arrested on March 9 by Israeli authorities on suspicion of working with Iranian handlers to harm a high-ranking official. (Israeli Police)
Payments vary widely. One network of seven suspects reportedly received about $300,000, while an Iron Dome reservist was allegedly paid $1,000 — and in some cases, even less.
«People may think they will get rich, but the money is not life-changing,» Berger said. «In one case last year involving two soldiers, one received just $21 and has been in prison for a year and a half.»
Iranian recruitment tactics include infiltrating WhatsApp and Facebook groups used by Israelis seeking freelance work, as well as pornography websites, where agents allegedly use compromising material to blackmail individuals into cooperating. Recruitment also relies on emotional manipulation of individuals whose moral judgment may be compromised.
«When recruiting a person, a relationship can develop between the handler and the spy. Sometimes the asset is looking for a father figure or a friend — someone who listens without judgment,» Berger said.
Former Shin Bet handler Gonen Ben Itzhak, who spent years recruiting sources within Palestinian society, told Fox News Digital that the issue is particularly serious, saying he has not previously seen so many attempts — and some successful cases — of spying against Israel.
IRANIAN REGIME SPREADING ANTI-ISRAEL PROPAGANDA ACROSS DOZENS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS: REPORT
Israel Police arresting a suspect in relation to Iranian espionage in Haifa. (Israel Police Spokesperson)
«The million-dollar question is who makes a good recruit. We don’t have a clear answer. There are certain indicators that someone may be more susceptible. The Iranians use social media — something we didn’t have in the same way —and it’s a powerful tool to identify potential motives,» he said.
As a handler, Ben Itzhak said he sought to recruit as many viable candidates as possible while avoiding individuals likely to attract suspicion, such as known criminals. He described the process as gradual and often uncertain.
«At first, they need to agree to meet in secret. Sometimes they come but won’t share information. I would start with simple questions — who leads Hamas in their village,» he said.
«Sometimes it takes time. Some refuse to cooperate, some may even act as double agents. In many cases, they are trained to collect information without being exposed. It’s a process,» Ben Itzhak added.
In March, 22-year-old Haifa resident Ami Gaydarov was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing explosives intended to target a senior Israeli figure at the direction of an Iranian agent.
A billboard depicting Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed above a highway in Tehran on March 10, 2026. Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as its supreme leader on March 9, 2026. (AFP/Via Getty Images)
Last month, a man from the Israeli-Arab city of Qalansawe was detained on suspicion of allegedly spying for «a hostile actor, mediated through the Al Jazeera channel.» According to the investigation, Miqdad Moder Hosni Natur made contact with his handler after being introduced while searching for job opportunities through the Qatari-owned news organization.
Under Israeli law, contact with a foreign agent carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Providing intelligence can result in more than 10 years’ imprisonment, while aiding the enemy during wartime carries a minimum sentence of life imprisonment and, in extreme cases, the death penalty.
Berger also warned against attempts by Israelis to deceive foreign agents, stressing that any contact is a serious offense.
DANISH NATIONAL WANTED IN GERMANY ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY SPYING ON JEWISH TARGETS FOR IRAN
«We had a hotel worker near the Dead Sea who falsely told Iranians that a group of Israelis would arrive. He said it was a lie, but I explained he had effectively put a target on that hotel, its staff and guests, and encouraged an attack,» Berger said.
«People unfamiliar with this world should not engage in it. Contact is an offense, providing information is an offense, and aiding the enemy is the most severe,» he added.
Israeli citizen Moti Maman stands in a courtroom after he was accused by Israeli security services of involvement in an Iranian-backed assassination plot targeting prominent people including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Beersheba District Court in southern Israel, Sept. 19, 2024. (Reuters/Stringer )
While most suspects remain in custody awaiting trial, some cases are advancing through the courts.
One concluded case involved 70-year-old Moti Maman, who was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison after twice entering Iran, where he met with intelligence agents to discuss carrying out terrorist activity in Israel. He also discussed the possibility of assassinating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Former Mossad operative Gad Shimron told Fox News Digital that while the espionage efforts have caused damage, their impact appears tactical rather than strategic. However, he cautioned against complacency.
«The electronic Iron Dome is trying to catch Israelis willing to work for the Iranians, and I believe it is quite efficient,» he said. «But one should never underestimate the enemy. I am sure they are investing a lot of effort and that they have some successes we don’t yet know of.»
war with iran, israel, counter terrorism, iran
El fortalecimiento de la Zona Libre de Colón es una tarea de múltiples instituciones, una responsabilidad compartida entre el Estado y el sector privado.
Esto lo afirma la Cámara de Comercio, Industrias y Agricultura de Panamá, luego de que un informe de la Alianza Transnacional para Combatir el Comercio Ilícito (TRACIT), señalara supuestas vulnerabilidades del país frente al comercio ilícito.
Jeffrey Hardy, director general de TRACIT, manifestó esta semana que Panamá ha mostrado avances respecto al índice anterior y que actualmente figura como el segundo país de mejor desempeño en Centroamérica en materia de resiliencia frente al comercio ilícito.
No obstante, advirtió que aún persisten importantes vulnerabilidades relacionadas con las zonas francas, el contrabando de cigarrillos, la falsificación de mercancías, el comercio electrónico y el movimiento de pequeños paquetes procedentes del extranjero.
La regulación de las zonas francas, añadió Hardy, continúa siendo una de las principales debilidades detectadas por la organización en Centroamérica y sostuvo que la Zona Libre de Colón, por su relevancia en el comercio internacional, debe continuar fortaleciendo sus controles, la gestión de riesgos y la cooperación entre el sector público y privado.
Ante este planteamiento, las autoridades nacionales rechazaron “categóricamente” cualquier intento de presentar a la Zona Libre de Colón como un espacio de tolerancia al crimen organizado.
Un comunicado del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores afirmó que esa narrativa “desconoce la realidad, los avances alcanzados y el profundo proceso de modernización que impulsa el Gobierno Nacional».
El planteamiento gubernamental fue más allá al señalar que las incidencias de actividades ilícitas representan apenas el 0,00042% del volumen comercial de una plataforma que mueve más de $25.000 millones anuales, por lo que, a su juicio, se trata de casos aislados y no de una práctica sistemática.
Por su parte, la Cámara de Comercio recuerda que la Zona Libre de Colón es uno de los principales activos estratégicos de Panamá. Su capacidad histórica de casi ocho décadas para conectar mercados, generar empleo y atraer inversión la convierte en una pieza esencial de nuestra plataforma logística y comercial.
En su publicación semanal, avalada por su presidente Aurelio Barría Pino, el organismo empresarial sostiene que para lograr su competitividad la institución avanza en acciones concretas, entre las que cita la creación de la primera Oficina de Cumplimiento, la certificación de auditores BASC, el mantenimiento de la certificación ISO 9001, la integración tecnológica entre el sistema DMCE y la Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas, que aduce unen la gobernanza, la transparencia, la trazabilidad y la mejora continua.
El gremio de los comerciantes también menciona la coordinación permanente con la Autoridad Nacional de Aduanas, la Unidad de Análisis Financiero, el Ministerio de Seguridad Pública, la Dirección General de Ingresos y otras entidades, lo que fortalece la seguridad y la confianza.
A ello, agrega, se suman el Centro de Monitoreo y Videovigilancia, los sistemas inteligentes de control y la cooperación con el gobierno de Estados Unidos para impulsar la capacidad de inspección mediante tecnología de última generación.
“La actualización que hoy experimenta la Zona Libre de Colón la moderniza, la diversifica y la conecta con las nuevas demandas del comercio global. Al mismo tiempo, amplía las oportunidades para aprovechar la integración económica regional y fortalecer las relaciones comerciales con mercados estratégicos, incluyendo los países del Mercosur», anota.
La Cámara de Comercio, Industrias y Agricultura de Panamá puntualiza que continuará siendo una aliada permanente de esta transformación, alegando que la ruta es clara: inversión, tecnología, institucionalidad y trabajo conjunto.
INTERNACIONAL
Graham’s death ignites GOP scramble for Senate seat as Trump hints he already has a favorite
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Sen. Lindsey Graham’s, R-S.C., sudden death from an undisclosed illness has triggered a two-pronged approach to replace him, and President Donald Trump will likely be a focal point in the process.
Graham’s passing overnight comes at a time when Republicans in the upper chamber need every vote they can get. The Senate GOP now holds a 52-seat majority, and with the timetable for Sen. Mitch McConnell’s, R-Ky., absence still unclear, that majority is now effectively 51 votes.
That will up the pressure, and drama, to find a replacement for the longtime South Carolina lawmaker.
LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO ROSE FROM SMALL-TOWN ROOTS TO GOP POWER BROKER, DIES AT 71
Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One with President Donald Trump and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on the way back to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 4, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump, during an appearance on NBC’s «Meet the Press» on Sunday, said, «I have somebody that I think would be great.»
«But I don’t want to say it now because it’s just, it’s too soon with Lindsey,» Trump said. «I don’t wanna even talk about anybody, but I do have somebody that I think is really good.»
It’s a process guided by the Constitution and state law. The first step will require South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, to appoint a replacement for Graham on a temporary basis.
McMaster, a close ally of Trump, can appoint a temporary replacement as soon as he wants. That pick will serve until the next special or general election.
MCCONNELL FACES FRESH CALLS TO COME CLEAN ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES
Fox News Digital did not immediately hear back from McMaster’s office on when he would make the announcement, or who he was considering for the seat.
Graham was already in-cycle running for a fifth term in the upper chamber, and he easily cruised to a primary victory early last month. That means that whoever McMaster taps would serve until the end of the year to finish off the remainder of Graham’s fourth term.
The second prong is finding his long-term successor.
The candidate filing period for that special election to win the GOP nomination opens July 21. The election is slated for Aug. 11, according to South Carolina law.
That race could see several familiar faces in South Carolina GOP politics jumping in, including McMaster himself, who is termed out as governor.
TRUMP’S ENDORSEMENT POWER FACES ANOTHER GOP TEST IN SOUTH CAROLINA AFTER ALAN WILSON ADVANCES
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., departs the U.S. Capitol after a series of House votes on funding for Homeland Security and a War Powers resolution on Iran on March 5, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump heaped praise on McMaster, noting that he endorsed his first bid for the White House in 2016.
«Henry’s been a great governor, you know now he’s termed out, but he’s going to do the right thing,» Trump said. «I think Henry will be fantastic.»
There are six members of South Carolina’s GOP congressional delegation who could toss their hats into the mix. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who recently lost a bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, is eyeing jumping into the special election.
A person familiar with Mace’s plans told Fox News Digital, «Congresswoman Mace is considering a bid to run.»
Then there’s Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., the longest-serving Republican member of the Palmetto State’s delegation. He quickly snuffed speculation about whether he’d leap into the fray.
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«I was grateful to speak with President Trump today reminiscing about our mutual friend, Senator Lindsey Graham,» Wilson said on X. «I assured him my goal is to remain in the House to keep his two-vote majority for the American people!!!»
Then there’s the remaining four: South Carolina Republican Reps. Ralph Norman, who also lost out on scoring the GOP nomination for governor, Russell Fry, William Timmons and Sheri Biggs, none of whom, so far, have signaled that they would jump into the battle for Graham’s seat.
Meanwhile, Pamela Evette, who Trump endorsed in the governor’s race but ultimately lost to GOP nominee and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, could also be in the mix.
Fox News Digital did not immediately receive responses to requests for comment from each possible contender.
politics, lindsey graham, senate, donald trump, south carolina
INTERNACIONAL
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