Teen admits to security offenses, being recruited by Iranian handler, in plea deal

This case joins other worrying cases observed since October 7, namely Iranian intelligence agents attempting to recruit Israelis via Telegram and other encrypted platforms.

A 16-year-old from the Shfela region admitted Wednesday to being in contact with an Iranian agent and passing information to the enemy after months of online communication, which began shortly after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

His admission was part of a plea deal, the prosecution said, after an indictment was issued in May.

This case joins other worrying cases observed since October 7, namely Iranian intelligence agents attempting to recruit Israelis via Telegram and other encrypted platforms. According to a series of police and Shin Bet statements over the past year, several such attempts have been uncovered, a few of which led to indictments – including against minors – for photographing sensitive locations, disseminating incendiary material or acting on instructions from Iranian officials.

According to the amended indictment, the teenager from the Shfela region knowingly maintained active contact with an Iranian agent for several months. He completed his assigned tasks and received NIS 1,600, which was transferred to his TrustWallet digital wallet.

The indictment says the agent asked the teen to print and distribute inflammatory political posters, document them in public spaces — sometimes by burning them — and send the recordings back via Telegram.

In another mission, he was asked to write the sentence “Where do you think the next target is?” » and photographed himself holding it in front of government buildings. He then visited eight such institutions in Rehovot, including the magistrate’s court, the tax office, a police station and the Ministry of Housing, sending videos and precise GPS locations to the officer.

Iran sent crypto payments and plans to start wildfires

Prosecutors said the teen also provided detailed contact details for cryptocurrency ATMs across the country and usage reports containing sensitive information. He allegedly suggested additional missions, including vandalizing graffiti with harsh political messages, hiding money in various locations in Rehovot and Rishon Lezion, reconnaissance of drone stores, and attempting to recruit friends.

During a major forest fire earlier this year in the Jerusalem Hills and Shfela, the Iranian master asked the boy to burn down a nearby forest area, although the plan was not carried out due to a dispute over payment. The indictment further states that the teen installed a secure communications app that allowed the officer to remotely control his phone’s camera and add him to WhatsApp groups he belonged to.

Eventually, the teenager called the police emergency line and revealed the contact and the missions he had completed.

“These are serious acts committed by a minor, crossing a red line by cooperating with an enemy seeking to harm the security of Israel,” the prosecution said. “The prosecution views any cooperation with Iranian agents with the utmost severity and will continue to act decisively against anyone who puts the state at risk.” »