The Military Prosecution filed serious charges Thursday against an IDF soldier arrested on suspicion of working for Iranian intelligence operatives for about a year and passing them sensitive information on military activity. His detention has been extended until November 12, 2026.
3+According to a joint statement from the Shin Bet, Israel Police, and the IDF Spokesperson, the soldier was arrested in September in a joint operation by security agencies and military investigators. The indictment charges him with passing information to the enemy with intent to harm state security, passing information for the benefit of the enemy, and contact with a foreign agent. The charges have not yet been adjudicated in military court. The investigation found that the soldier was aware his handler was Iranian. According to the allegations, he received payment for his activities through cryptocurrency wallets, following the handler’s instructions.
3+Information on Alert Schedules and Bases
According to the investigation’s findings, the soldier passed his handler information about the activities of the unit in which he served, about alert schedules and deployments in the military system, and about his personal deployment when Operation Swords of Iron broke out. He’s also accused of passing information about military bases and their coordinates. As part of the missions he received, he photographed interceptors, military vehicles, and American refueling aircraft parked at an airfield in Israel.
3+The soldier is also charged with passing his handler details about his friends and commanders in the unit. According to the investigation, he did this knowing the Iranian handler would try to contact them and recruit them for additional espionage activity. In addition, the soldier passed his handler the Telegram group “Kal BaKrav” [Easy in Combat], intended for Israelis about to enlist. After receiving the group details, the Iranian handler joined it.
Malicious Apps, a Gun, and a Cover Story
The handler instructed the soldier to install malicious communication apps designed to allow them to conduct encrypted conversations. He even offered to buy him a “dumb phone” and a gun. During their contact, the two agreed to use codes in their conversations and to build a cover story to present if the contact was exposed by security agencies. According to the investigation, the handler even offered the soldier $200,000 to come to Iran.
3+The soldier’s detention was extended by the military court until November 12. The investigation was conducted in cooperation with the Shin Bet, the Ayalon International Investigations Unit of Israel Police, the Central Unit for Special Investigations in the Military Police, and the Information Security Department.
“An Extremely Serious Case”
In the joint statement, security agencies said this is “an extremely serious case of harm to state security,” and called on the public to be vigilant about approaches from unidentified sources. “Any suspicious approach from an unidentified source, a request to pass information, or an offer of payment in exchange for ‘services’—must be reported to the security authorities,” the statement said. The agencies emphasized that security forces will continue to work to thwart espionage and terrorism, and to prosecute to the fullest extent anyone who assists the enemy or harms state security.