Israeli security services have thwarted an Iranian-backed attempt to recruit Israelis for terrorist activity, officials said Tuesday following the arrest of an eastern Jerusalem resident accused of carrying out missions for Iranian intelligence.

The operation, jointly conducted by the Israeli Police and the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) uncovered a plot involving a man in his 30s from the Isawiya neighborhood. According to the investigation, the suspect had been in contact with Iranian operatives and had already begun carrying out assignments for them across Jerusalem.

“The suspect was instructed to carry out various activities in Jerusalem, while being aware that he was dealing with a hostile entity interested in harming the security of the state,” the Shin Bet and police said in a joint statement. Among the missions he allegedly undertook were hanging signs, photographing strategic sites including the Western Wall and Mahane Yehuda Market, and burning Israeli military uniforms.