IDF soldier sentenced to 5 years for spying on behalf of Iran during June 2025 war

An Israeli soldier performing mandatory service was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday for carrying out espionage tasks on behalf of Iran, the Israel Defense Forces announced.

The soldier had been convicted of contact with a foreign agent and delivering information liable to benefit the enemy, following a joint investigation by the Military Police, the Israel Police, and the Shin Bet.

The IDF said that in 2025, the soldier received messages on Telegram from various individuals, some of whom were identified with Iran, containing various job offers. One Iranian handler offered the soldier money in exchange for “various photography tasks.”

The soldier sent the Iranian handler two videos showing missile interceptions that he had filmed at civilian locations — not army bases — during the 12-day war with Iran in June 2025, according to the investigation.

He received payment for one of the videos.

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Additionally, the soldier sent the Iranian handler several videos from civilian sites, including one featuring a missile impact, that he found online.

“Ultimately, after feeling pressured, the defendant informed a member of his unit that he had been in contact with a foreign agent, and the following day he was arrested by the Shin Bet,” the military said.

Military prosecutors sought to sentence the soldier to seven years with additional penalties, “emphasizing the severity and risk inherent in the defendant’s actions and the need to deter both the defendant and others.”

In its ruling, the military court took into account that the soldier did not provide military information or any other information obtained through his role in the IDF, as well as the fact that he cut off contact with the Iranian handler and reported the incident to his commanders.

The court therefore sentenced him to five years in prison, along with a suspended sentence, a fine of NIS 1,000, and the demotion to the rank of private — the lowest rank in the IDF.

The soldier’s identity and the unit he served in remain barred from publication.

Over the past two years, dozens of Israelis, including several soldiers and reservists, have been charged with espionage on behalf of Iran. In many cases, Iranian agents recruited Israelis via social media, specifically through Telegram.

Iranian handlers usually start their recruits with relatively mundane tasks such as vandalism or the filming of public locations, which then escalate into more severe, sometimes even violent offenses.

The growing number of Iranian agents has even prompted Israel to open up a new wing in Haifa’s Damon prison for those indicted on such spying charges. Most of the cases are still making their way through the legal system.