Two Israeli Air Force Techs Indicted for Passing Intel to Iran, Officials Say

This afternoon (Thursday), spokespeople for the Shin Bet, the IDF, and the Israel Police cleared for publication that the Shin Bet, the Israel Police Central District, and the Military Police Investigative Unit arrested two IDF soldiers on suspicion of committing security offenses on behalf of Iranian intelligence operatives. The military prosecution today filed an indictment against the two soldiers, who serve in the Air Force.

The soldiers, technicians in the Air Force, were arrested during the past month on suspicion of security offenses involving contact with Iranian intelligence operatives and carrying out security tasks under their direction. One soldier was charged with assisting the enemy in wartime, conveying information to the enemy, aiding contact with a foreign agent, and additional offenses. The second soldier was charged with contact with a foreign agent, conveying information to the enemy, and additional offenses.

The two claimed in their interrogation that contact with the Iranian handlers was severed after they refused to carry out tasks involving weapons systems. In their defense, they noted that they were instructed to gather information on National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and that they refused.

However, even after contact was cut off at the handler's initiative, investigators noted that the defendants did not stop trying to renew contact for financial gain.

According to the indictment, for several months the two soldiers maintained contact with Iranian intelligence elements and, under their direction, carried out a variety of tasks for money. One of the soldiers even transferred to an Iranian foreign agent materials from his military training relating to fighter-jet systems, as well as documentation of facilities and areas on a military base.