New details have emerged from the interrogation of one of two Israeli teenagers charged with carrying out missions for an Iranian agent, including an admission that he eventually knew he was working for someone connected to Iran but continued because he wanted the money.

The two minors, ages 14 and 16 from Kiryat Motzkin, were indicted Sunday for allegedly carrying out assignments for a foreign agent operating on behalf of Iran.

During questioning, the main suspect said he became suspicious after being asked to photograph shopping centers and gather information about entrances, exits and security guards.

After sending videos of the Seven Stars Mall in Herzliya, the teen said he deleted the footage because he feared it could be used to carry out a terror attack. He also temporarily stopped communicating with the handler and deleted their chat.

Despite those concerns, however, the relationship resumed after the handler contacted him using another account and offered him additional work, including setting up a Telegram channel to recruit other teenagers.

The suspect was given NIS 900 to purchase a new phone for the recruitment effort, but instead allegedly forged a receipt from electronics retailer KSP without buying the device.

During his interrogation, the teen initially claimed he had thought the person directing him was a “leftist.” Investigators confronted him with messages in which he himself referred to the handler as Iranian.

Asked directly whether he had knowingly performed assignments for an Iranian agent, the teen acknowledged that he had.

He told investigators that the handler had not asked him to do anything he considered dangerous to Israel or its citizens and said his motivation was financial.

“I just wanted money,” the teen said, adding that after completing graffiti and surveillance assignments, the handler told him he was connected to Iran. The teen said he regretted his actions.

According to the indictment, the teens were tasked with spraying political graffiti in Kiryat Motzkin. The main suspect received approximately $250 for the graffiti assignment and gave NIS 150 to his friend.

The handler later instructed the teen to photograph a mall, roads and a government building in the Tel Aviv area and provide information about security arrangements. The second teen refused to participate after telling his friend that he suspected they were dealing with an Iranian agent.

The main suspect nevertheless completed the surveillance assignment and received approximately NIS 600.

He later sent the handler a photograph of his passport and his face to verify his identity in exchange for roughly $100.

Investigators say the teen also tried to expand the operation by recruiting other minors. In a voice message to his friend, he allegedly asked him to add “as many kids as possible” to a Telegram channel, specifically seeking teenagers willing to carry out higher-risk assignments.

In total, the main suspect allegedly received approximately NIS 3,500 from the Iranian agent.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)