A senior Israeli commander at Nevatim Air Base has been put under special protection after authorities uncovered an Iranian plot to assassinate him.

“That’s not a standard procedure for everyone, only those with a threat against 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,” a senior Israeli security source tells Iran International.

Nevatim base was struck during last month’s barrage of nearly 200 Iranian ballistic missiles, with satellite imagery revealing multiple impact sites, including visible damage to a hangar roof.

“The commander is a very wanted target because Nevatim is in itself such a strong target for Iran. It’s not just fighters, it’s intelligence, it’s multi-disciplinary and a strategic base,” the source explained. “Usually, these guys have a security assessment made on them, to also see how exposed the family is on the internet.”

According to Israel’s Shin Bet security service, the plot was discovered following the arrest of seven Azerbaijani immigrants who conducted over 600 operations for Iran during a two-year period. The suspects, identified by Israel Police as Aziz Nisanov, Alexander Sedikov, Vyacheslav Goshchin, Yevgeny Yufa, Yigal Nisan, and two minors, gathered intelligence on military installations, including details about the Iron Dome defense system and the Hadera power plant. They reportedly received thousands of dollars, including cryptocurrency payments, for their services.

It follows a pattern of Iranian assassination attempts against Israeli officials. In September, authorities thwarted plots targeting Israel’s prime minister, the head of Shin Bet, and the defense minister. More recently, security forces prevented an attempt to assassinate an Israeli nuclear scientist.”