After Iranian assassination plot: IAF base commander receives increased security detail - report

The commander of the Israel Air Force Nevatim base, Brigadier General Yotam Sigler, has been given a security detail, along with his family after the exposure of a recent Iranian plot to assassinate him. 

This was first reported by Iran International, an Iranian opposition-aligned news site before being reported in Israeli media. An anonymous Israeli security official told Iran International that such a security detail is not normal for the base commander but came as a result of the discovery of an assassination plot against him. 

“That’s not a standard procedure for everyone, only those with a threat on them such as the chief of staff, the Air Force chief, but now they put security on him and his family as he was exposed,” the official said. 

The attempt to gather information about Sigler as part of an assassination plot was exposed as part of a string of recent arrests of Israelis apprehended for engaging in espionage activities on behalf of Iran. According to N12, Sigler was the target of a plot involving a group of seven Israelis arrested recently. 

In September, the seven Jewish Israelis from Azerbaijan were arrested on suspicion of carrying out such spying operations. The arrest was announced in October, after the filing of official charges against the individuals. 

Just days later, another group of Israelis, this time Israeli Arabs from Beit Safafa were arrested for carrying out similar acts of espionage, including participating in a plot to kill an Israeli nuclear scientist. 

Among the targets they gathered information about was the Nevatim Air Base, and apparently, its commander Brig. Gen. Sigler. 

The Israeli security source told Iran International that IDF commanders have regular security assessments. 

“Usually, these guys have a security assessment made about them, to also see how exposed the family is on the internet,” the source said, before noting that the Nevatim base holds a special interest for Iran due to the fighter jets stationed there, as well as its operational and intelligence capabilities. 

“The commander is a very wanted target because Nevatim is in itself so strong a target for Iran. It’s not just fighters, it’s intelligence, it’s multi-disciplinary, and a strategic base,” he stated. 

Nevatim was the target of many of the almost 200 ballistic missiles launched by Iran during its last attack on Israel at the beginning of October. 

Israel’s F-35 “Adir” (Mighty) squadron is based at Nevatim. The jets regularly participate in operations against Iranian elements in Syria and also took part in the Israeli strike on Iran on October 25. 

There has been a spate of recent arrests involving Israelis conducting espionage operations for Iran in the past two months.

While many appear to be primarily motivated by the money paid for such acts, a few described their motivation as political. The Shin Bet said it has foiled several assassination plots during the war.