The indictment filed against an Israeli citizen who served in a classified IDF unit reveals he was allegedly asked by an Iranian intelligence operative to recruit another soldier. The suspect was charged with contact with a foreign agent and attempted handover of information to the enemy.
The indictment, filed on July 16 at the Tel Aviv District Court by the State Attorney's Office Cyber Department, reveals that the suspect — a veteran of a classified IDF unit in both regular and reserve service — was asked by an individual posing as an Iranian intelligence agent to assist in recruiting another soldier for contact with the same Iranian handlers. This is the latest development in a case that first emerged earlier today at 13:15 Jerusalem time, when initial reports indicated a reserve soldier from a classified unit had been charged with espionage for Iran.
Earlier today at 13:15 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that a 28-year-old reserve soldier from the Gush Dan region, who served in a classified unit, was indicted for allegedly contacting an Iranian agent and offering information about his unit. Subsequent updates revealed that the suspect initially received a message from an Iranian handler seeking help with tasks described as graffiti, to which the suspect responded that he had "much more than graffiti" to offer, boasting about his operational capabilities. The joint investigation by the Shin Bet, the Defense Ministry's Malmab unit, and the Israel Police led to the indictment, which also charges the suspect with contact with a foreign agent and attempted handover of information to the enemy.
As The Zioneer reported earlier today, the suspect's initial contact with the Iranian agent involved a request for graffiti assistance, but the suspect escalated the interaction by offering classified details about his unit. The case follows a pattern of Iranian espionage attempts: last month, the State Attorney's Office sought an indictment against a Tajik national for allegedly documenting sensitive sites in Israel for Iranian intelligence, as The Zioneer reported on July 2.
The specific information passed to the Iranian handler has not been disclosed. Security agencies reiterated their warning against any contact with foreign entities from enemy states or unidentified sources, urging citizens to report suspicious approaches.
8 developments
- StrongIran's intelligence ministry arrests suspect for allegedly leaking classified data to the US
- DevelopingIDF soldier arrested in Bat Yam; weapons cache investigation transferred to Military Police special unit
- StrongIDF reservist arrested in Netivot on suspicion of possessing, selling weapons taken from Gaza or Oct. 7
- StrongIsraeli citizen charged with security tasks for Iranian intelligence
Source and signal
- Open-source intake