State prosecutors filed an indictment Monday against two young Israelis from central Israel accused of acting on behalf of Iranian intelligence, in what security authorities described as the latest in a series of cases involving alleged online recruitment efforts targeting Israeli citizens.
In a joint statement, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the police’s Central District major crimes unit said the main defendant was arrested in March on suspicion of maintaining contact from December 2025 until about March 1 with an Iranian foreign agent and carrying out tasks at his direction, allegedly while knowing from the outset that he was dealing with a hostile actor.
During that period, authorities said, he exposed identifying details about himself and his family, told the agent that his brother served in the IDF and falsely claimed he served in military intelligence, sent a photo of his brother in what appeared to be IDF uniform pants, and later claimed he had overheard a conversation suggesting Israel and the United States were preparing to attack Iran.
Prosecutors further allege that he agreed to undergo recruitment to the Iranian intelligence service, negotiated the terms of that arrangement, and was also asked to recruit additional people for future assignments. The indictment says he later sent the agent copies of his driver’s license and passport as part of arrangements for a meeting in Dubai.
Authorities said the investigation also led to the arrest of another man after the first defendant allegedly enlisted his help in preparing forged material for the foreign agent. According to the indictment, the second defendant used artificial intelligence to prepare two forged documents bearing the Israeli flag, after being asked to create what were meant to appear to be documents containing secret information about Israeli and US plans to attack Iran.
Iran increasing use of social media as recruitment platform
The arrest is the latest in a growing list of cases in which Israeli authorities say Iranian handlers used social media and messaging platforms to make contact with Israelis, offer payment, and assign tasks that in some instances escalated over time.
According to the indictment, the main defendant was first approached in a Telegram group and asked whether he would carry out “illegal” tasks in exchange for money. Prosecutors say he agreed, and that over the course of the contact, the agent transferred him more than NIS 60,000 through the BASE digital wallet application, along with NIS 16,900 to his bank account.
The remand request further alleges that some of the funds transferred into his account came after Iranian actors or those acting on their behalf hacked the bank account of a company called Gal Ahzakot.
The charging documents also allege that he tried to recruit others to carry out violent acts on the Iranian agent’s behalf, including an assault in Nesher and the torching of a vehicle during haredi protests in Bnei Brak, in exchange for large sums of money.
In March, prosecutors filed an indictment against a 14-year-old from central Israel accused of carrying out paid assignments for hostile actors he believed were tied to Iran, including spray-painting graffiti, filming near Ichilov Hospital, documenting neighborhoods in Ramat Gan, and recording the Tel Aviv skyline while describing the Kirya area. According to the indictment, he was recruited through Telegram and paid in cryptocurrency.
Just weeks later, investigators alleged in a separate case that another suspect carried out documentation and equipment-purchasing tasks for a hostile actor in exchange for cryptocurrency. According to investigators, that case also raised suspicion that the activity may have extended to the production and testing of explosive material.
Other recent cases have followed a similar path. In one case, a Rishon Lezion man was accused of filming the street outside former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s home after initially being drawn in through paid online “projects.” In another case, a woman from Nazareth was accused of carrying out intelligence-gathering and filming assignments after being approached on Telegram with what were initially presented as routine paid jobs. Additional convictions in recent months have likewise involved Israelis who, according to the charges, remained in contact with foreign agents despite mounting warning signs.
In its annual report published in February, the Shin Bet said 25 Israelis and foreign residents were indicted in 2025 for spying for Iran, while 120 separate Iranian espionage incidents were thwarted that year. The agency said at the time that attempts to recruit Israelis rose by 400% in 2025 compared with 2024.
The remand request on Monday said the main defendant admitted the contact and acknowledged that he knew he was dealing with an Iranian actor, although he claimed he had only been trying to “scam” the agent and make money. The second defendant, prosecutors said, admitted forging a document at the first defendant’s request and said he knew it was intended for the foreign agent.
As in previous cases, the security establishment used Monday’s announcement to reiterate its warning that hostile intelligence and terror actors continue trying to recruit Israelis through social networks and other online channels, including during wartime, and said those involved would face severe prosecution.