Over the course of several years Arye Eliyahu “Eli” Cohen appropriated components for army missiles, personnel carriers and fighter jets sold by the United States to Israel. After reshuffling US-Israeli orders, he and his brother-in-law Avihai Weinstein exported the equipment to Iran, through go-betweens in Europe and Asia.
Greek media reported that, in December 2012 and April 2013, Cohen and Weinstein exported Phantom F-4 parts to Iran via Greece.
US security authorities carried out a sting operation by presenting themselves as dealers looking for a middleman to sell military equipment to Iran. In 2013, after the Federal District Court of Connecticut filed the charges, the US made its extradition request, but Cohen appealed to the Israeli Supreme Court.
Currently, Cohen, after serving some time in jail, is free under the legal system of Israel. But a Sunday statement by Jerusalem claimed that Cohen will now be extradited to the US “in order to stand trial for the commission of federal offences of trading military spare parts with Iran.”
In the event of a conviction, Cohen could face up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
