Two Israeli Teens Charged with Spying for Iran

Two teenagers, aged 14 and 16 from Kiryat Motzkin, have been indicted on serious charges of espionage for an Iranian agent. The Haifa District Prosecutor's Office filed the indictment in the Youth District Court, accusing the minors of contacting a foreign agent via Telegram and photographing shopping malls in central Israel while mapping security personnel and escape routes.

The indictment reveals that the two continued their activities even after realizing they were working for Iran and even attempted to recruit other teenagers for "high-risk" missions. The scheme began about two months ago when one of the minors sought work in a Telegram group and was contacted by an individual posing as "Daniel," who offered payment for tasks.

Subsequently, the first minor involved his friend, and they proceeded with joint operations, even after suspecting and later confirming the agent's Iranian affiliation. Their tasks included photographing prominent malls in Herzliya and Tel Aviv, with one of them providing detailed information on entrances, exits, and security presence at a specific mall. Fearing the information could be used for an attack, the minor deleted the recorded videos.

In addition to espionage, the teens sprayed graffiti in Kiryat Motzkin and sent documentation to their handler. One of the teens directly questioned the agent about his Iranian ties, and despite an admission of connection to Iran, the collaboration continued. The agent also demanded the recruitment of additional operatives, leading one of the teens to create a dedicated Telegram channel and ask his friend to invite other minors willing to undertake "high-risk" missions.

For their services, the teenagers received hundreds of shekels, paid partly in cryptocurrency. One teen faces charges including contact with a foreign agent and providing information to the enemy, while the other is charged with aiding contact with a foreign agent.