A reservist in the Israel Air Force has been accused of sharing classified information regarding the timing of an Israeli strike in Iran to a friend who then used the knowledge to place online bets for profit, according to an indictment shared by the Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday.
According to the indictment, the reservist, a major, attended a closed security briefing in June, two days before the opening of Operation Rising Lion, where the date of the strike was disclosed. Prosecutors said that despite signing a confidentiality declaration, he sent his friend a WhatsApp message stating that the attack would take place on the night of June 12.
The friend then allegedly placed a bet on the Polymarket platform that the strike would occur before July, while also receiving a recommendation from the officer to significantly increase the amount of the wager. The indictment says the information was later passed on to five additional friends.
According to prosecutors, the bet yielded winnings of $162,663. The indictment further alleges that this was not an isolated incident, but part of a repeated pattern of using sensitive security information for financial gain.
The friend also allegedly bet on the timing of the operation's end and won again. Two days after the fighting ended, the indictment says, he contacted the officer and the two agreed to split the profits.
To facilitate the transfer, a digital wallet was allegedly opened for the officer, into which cryptocurrency was transferred. Prosecutors said the officer later sold the digital assets for a profit of about NIS 200,000.
The relationship between the two men allegedly continued in the months that followed. In September 2025, prosecutors say, the officer passed on additional information regarding an Israeli strike in Yemen, enabling the friend to place another successful bet worth about $5,000.
At the beginning of this year, the indictment says, the pair allegedly tried to repeat the method once more. The officer is accused of sharing information about rising tensions on the Iran front and an assessment that a strike was approaching, after which the friend placed bets on two scenarios, one predicting an attack by the end of January and another by the end of March.
According to the indictment, media reports about an ongoing investigation prompted the friend to change his username on the betting platform and cancel some wagers. At the same time, prosecutors allege, the two deleted their correspondence and materials they had exchanged.
Charged with transferring secrets, taking a bribe, aggravated espionage, obstructing justice
The State Attorney’s Office has charged the reserve major with transferring secret information, taking a bribe, and obstruction of justice. The second defendant is charged with transferring secret information, giving a bribe, aggravated espionage, and obstruction of justice.
The case, according to the indictment, centers on the repeated use of classified information obtained through a closed defense framework for gambling and personal profit, until the affair was uncovered and charges were filed.