Veteran of secret IDF unit charged with spying for Iran

An Israeli civilian who previously served in the military in a classified unit has been arrested and charged with spying on behalf of Iran, Israeli authorities announce.

In a joint statement, the Israel Police, Defense Ministry, and Shin Bet say the man was charged at the Tel Aviv District Court on July 16 with “contact with a foreign agent and attempted delivery of information for the benefit of the enemy.”

The investigation found that the man, who served in the classified unit during both his mandatory service and reserves, was in contact with “an individual who identified himself as an Iranian intelligence agent.”

The statement says the suspect at one stage was also asked to assist with recruiting a soldier “to establish contact with those [Iranian] agents.”

No further details are given regarding the information the suspect sent to the Iranian handler, or when he was arrested. The unit the man served in previously is not detailed, as its activities are classified.

Israeli security authorities say they “reiterate their warning” to civilians against “maintaining contact with foreign actors from enemy states or with unidentified individuals.”

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, authorities say.