IDF soldier charged with spying for Iran for about a year, paid in crypto

Israel's military prosecution has filed an indictment against a serving soldier in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), accusing him of carrying out espionage tasks for Iranian intelligence in return for payment in cryptocurrency, The Times of Israel reported. The soldier, who has not been named in the reports, was detained in September after a joint investigation by the Shin Bet, the Israel Police and the Military Police.

According to the authorities' announcement, as relayed by Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel Fabian, investigators suspected him of "grave security offenses," among them keeping in touch with Iranian intelligence operatives and acting on their instructions. Hebrew outlets reported that the alleged contact lasted roughly a year.

The charges

N12 reported that the indictment lists three offences: handing information to the enemy with the aim of harming state security, handing information that benefits the enemy, and contact with a foreign agent. The channel said it had been first to report the arrest in September, when he was suspected of working on behalf of an Iranian party.

What he is alleged to have passed on

The fullest account of the alleged activity came from News.co.il, which reported that the soldier gave his handler sensitive material on his unit's activity, including states of alert and emergency call-ups of troops. That reportedly included his own call-up when the war the reports name "Roaring Lion" broke out. He is also said to have shared the locations of bases and to have photographed interceptor missiles, military vehicles and American aerial refuelling aircraft inside Israel.

The same outlet reported that he supplied information about his comrades and his commanders, aware that the handler intended to try to recruit them for espionage as well.

In a further report, News.co.il cited correspondent Lee Ayash as saying the investigation found the soldier had, on his own initiative, forwarded to the Iranian agent an alert notice he received from his company commander. He allegedly attached his personal assessment that the notice might signal the start of a war between Israel and Iran. On several occasions he is also said to have reported troop deployments to bases, and during the operation called "Roaring Lion" he allegedly told the agent where an air defence system was located and how it worked.

Political commentator Amit Segal reported that, according to the investigation, the soldier was offered 200 thousand dollars if he travelled to Iran. That detail appears only in his report.

Who investigated

The Shin Bet, also known as the Israel Security Agency, is Israel's domestic security service and is responsible for counter-espionage inside the country. It worked alongside the civilian Israel Police and the IDF's own Military Police. News.co.il specified that the police element was the Ayalon regional investigations unit, together with the army's investigative and security bodies. Because the suspect is a serving soldier, the case is being handled by the military prosecution rather than the civilian State Attorney's office.

Points of difference between the reports

The reports agree on the core facts: a serving soldier, an arrest in September, a joint investigation and an indictment filed by military prosecutors. They differ in emphasis on payment. The Times of Israel specified cryptocurrency, while Segal referred to money without naming the form. The Hebrew reports also describe "Roaring Lion" variously as a war and as an operation; none of the material describes it further. Ynet carried only a brief alert that the soldier is accused of sending Iranian parties sensitive details about his unit's activity.

What the reports do not say

None of the reports names the soldier, gives his age or rank, or identifies his unit or where he served. They do not say how the Iranian handler first made contact with him, how much he was actually paid in total, or whether any of the comrades and commanders he allegedly described were approached. The reports do not state whether he has responded to the charges, whether he has legal representation, or when the case will next come before a military court. They also do not say whether any of the information he allegedly passed on was used by Iran, or what damage, if any, investigators believe it caused.