From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
IDF soldier sentenced to 5 years for spying on behalf of Iran during June 2025 war
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
An Israeli soldier performing mandatory service has been sentenced to five years in prison for carrying out espionage tasks on behalf of Iran, the military announces.
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 Shin Bet.
The IDF says 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 June 2025 war with Iran, according to the investigation. He received payment for one of the videos.
Additionally, the soldier sent the Iranian handler several videos from civilian sites, including one showing a missile impact, that he had 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 says.
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.
The Times of Israel Community.