How Telegram turned a teenager into Israel's youngest Iranian spy

TEL AVIV – Israeli prosecutors announced on Wednesday that they have filed espionage charges against a 14-year-old boy, accusing him of carrying out tasks for Iranian-linked entities in exchange for cryptocurrency payments. Authorities state that this case reflects a surge in what they describe as "low-cost digital recruitment" amidst a simmering intelligence war with Tehran.

According to the indictment, citing "The Times of Israel" website, the minor began communicating with a foreign operative via the Telegram application in April 2025, after responding to a message about a job opportunity. He agreed to carry out tasks in exchange for financial transfers to digital wallets he created for this purpose.

The prosecution claims the boy opened four wallets and received a total of over $1,170, using multiple addresses to reduce traceability, according to the same sources.

The prosecution added that the accused, a resident of central Israel, faces charges including contact with a foreign agent and transferring information to an enemy, with proceedings taking place before the juvenile court in Tel Aviv.

Israeli law, according to the prosecution, criminalizes the transfer of information, even if not confidential, when done on behalf of a hostile entity.

Over the past two years, dozens of Israelis have been indicted in similar cases, which authorities say often involved recruitment via social media, particularly Telegram, using fake accounts and financial offers that begin with limited tasks before escalating to more sensitive missions.

According to the case details, the minor filmed videos near the "Ichilov" Medical Center in Tel Aviv and in the city of Ramat Gan, where an elderly couple was recently killed in an Iranian missile attack. He also documented the Tel Aviv skyline in what is believed to be an attempt to locate the military's headquarters, known as "The Kirya."

The indictment states that the boy also wrote graffiti messages in several locations, including the phrase "We are committed to the covenant," which the prosecution described as propaganda and psychological tasks accompanying information gathering.

The prosecution further stated that the entity in contact with the minor also asked him to monitor the movements of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and vandalize his home by writing a threatening message: "We will take revenge in our turn! Sons of Ruhollah," referring to Ruhollah Khomeini. According to the prosecution, the boy informed his contact that he would postpone this task until after the end of the school year.

The prosecution also indicated that the minor was tasked with attempting to rent an apartment near the military headquarters, a move they suggested could be used as an observation point. However, he was unable to complete the rental process despite contacting several property owners and sending photos of potential apartments.

The prosecution said that after his interrogation, the accused attempted to influence the investigation by trying to convince a schoolmate to provide a false statement claiming that he was the one who transferred the money found in his digital wallets.

It added that communication between the two parties occurred via multiple accounts and aliases, with periodic deletion of conversations, methods they said are used to avoid detection.

The prosecution did not specify exact dates for the incidents but noted that the activities took place in stages during 2025, with a gradual escalation in the nature of the tasks.

In a related context, police and the General Security Service announced last week the arrest of an Iron Dome reserve soldier, Raz Cohen, accusing him of communicating with Iranian entities and providing them with information about military locations and the system's operation, including battery sites and air force bases.

Officials say the increase in such cases reflects a shift in intelligence methods towards recruiting ordinary individuals, including minors, online for limited financial sums, rather than relying on traditional agents.

Authorities added that this trend led to the establishment of a dedicated wing in "Damon" prison near Haifa to detain those accused in similar cases.

According to available data, only one person has been convicted so far, while most cases are still pending in court, amidst estimates that the actual number of recruitment attempts may be higher than the cases that have been uncovered.

These developments come at a time when Israel is intensifying its intelligence activities against Iran, including surveillance operations, digital penetration, and information gathering on nuclear facilities and military sites, as part of its efforts to strike specific targets in Tehran and amid an unprecedented assassination campaign targeting senior figures of the Iranian regime.