An active-duty IDF soldier has been sentenced to five years in military prison after admitting that he accepted money from an Iranian operative and sent him videos documenting missile interceptions and impact sites inside Israel.

The case began when the soldier received messages through his private Telegram account from several individuals offering paid work. Some were later identified as being connected to Iran. One Iranian handler asked whether he wanted to earn money by completing photography assignments. The soldier agreed.

During Operation Rising Lion, he filmed two videos showing Israeli air defenses intercepting Iranian missiles over civilian areas and sent them to the handler. He received payment for one of the clips. He also forwarded additional footage from civilian locations, including a video showing the aftermath of a direct missile strike that he had found online.

The soldier eventually came under intense pressure over his actions and disclosed the contact to a member of his unit. He was arrested by the Shin Bet the following day. A joint investigation was conducted by the Shin Bet, Israel Police and the Military Police’s special investigations unit. His identity and military unit remain under a court-imposed publication ban.

He pleaded guilty to contact with a foreign agent and transmitting information liable to benefit the enemy. Military prosecutors sought a seven-year prison sentence, warning that the conduct carried serious security risks and that a substantial punishment was needed to deter other Israelis from cooperating with Tehran.

The military court stressed that the crimes were committed by a serving soldier while Israel was at war. However, the judges also considered that he had not provided classified military intelligence, information obtained through his IDF position or footage of military installations. They further noted that he ended the contact himself and reported it to his commanders.

Alongside the five-year prison term, the soldier received a suspended sentence, a NIS 1,000 fine and a demotion to private, the IDF’s lowest rank.

The case exposes one of Iran’s most persistent intelligence tactics against Israel, approaching ordinary Israelis on Telegram and other social platforms with seemingly harmless offers of money. Recruits are often first asked to photograph public locations, distribute materials or perform acts of vandalism before handlers escalate their demands toward sensitive intelligence, weapons procurement or attacks.

Dozens of Israelis, including soldiers and reservists, have been charged in Iranian espionage cases over the past two years. The volume of arrests became so significant that authorities established a dedicated wing at Damon Prison for Israelis accused of working on Tehran’s behalf.