The incident happened last Sunday, April 19, at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, when around 40 Israeli citizens arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv were pulled aside by Russian security services. Among them were dual Russian-Israeli nationals.

The passengers were held for roughly five hours without access to water, food or restrooms, according to a report by the Russian opposition outlet Mediazona. Agents demanded they unlock their phones. When they refused, officers ordered the devices turned off, under a new Russian law granting the FSB authority to inspect foreign nationals’ devices.

Behind the operation lies a clear concern: blocking any Israeli intelligence activity on Russian soil. During the 12-day war, Mossad ran deep operations inside Iran, from eliminating nuclear scientists to infiltrating commando teams. Moscow, a strategic ally of Tehran, does not want similar episodes within its borders.

In individual questioning, Russian officers told detainees that Iran is an ally of Moscow and that “an enemy of Iran is our enemy too”, accusing them of involvement in the war against Tehran. All were released after signing “warning” documents.