Israel charges two minors with espionage for Iranian agent

Two Israeli teenagers, aged 14 and 16 from Kiryat Motzkin, have been formally charged with espionage for working on behalf of an individual linked to Iranian intelligence. The activities began in June via Telegram, where a contact using the pseudonym ‘Daniel’ recruited the minors for various paid tasks.

Initially, the missions appeared innocuous, involving activities such as distributing flyers, creating graffiti, or taking photographs. However, the requests escalated to include the surveillance of shopping centers in Herzliya and Tel Aviv. The teenagers were instructed to monitor and report on the number of people entering and exiting these locations, as well as the presence of security personnel.

According to the indictment, one of the minors continued the collaboration even after the contact confirmed ties to Iran. The suspects also allegedly attempted to expand their network by impersonating Israeli intelligence military personnel on Telegram to solicit more sensitive missions and recruit other minors. In exchange for their cooperation, the teenagers received payments in shekels and cryptocurrency. One suspect was apprehended at Ben Gurion Airport.