14-year-old in Israel accused of spying for Iran, paid in cryptocurrency

A 14-year-old boy from central Israel has been indicted on charges of spying for Iran, after allegedly carrying out a series of paid missions on behalf of Iranian operatives, prosecutors said Wednesday.

According to the indictment filed by the State Attorney's Office in the Tel Aviv District Juvenile Court, the teenager made contact with Iranian handlers via the Telegram messaging app in April 2025 after responding to a job offer. The two sides agreed he would perform tasks in exchange for payment in cryptocurrency.

Authorities say the boy went on to carry out multiple assignments across Tel Aviv and surrounding areas, including spraying graffiti, filming streets near Ichilov Hospital, documenting neighborhoods in Ramat Gan, and recording footage of the Tel Aviv skyline while identifying the location of the Kirya military headquarters.

He was also instructed to help locate an apartment near the Kirya, sending photos of available properties and contacting landlords whose apartments matched the requirements. In another task, he was asked to spray graffiti near the home of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and film the area, though he reportedly delayed carrying out that assignment due to school.

Prosecutors said the teenager opened four digital wallets at the direction of his handlers and received more than $1,170 in cryptocurrency payments for completing the missions.

Following his arrest, the indictment alleges the boy attempted to obstruct the investigation by asking a classmate to falsely claim responsibility for transferring most of the money found in his accounts.

Israeli authorities have warned in recent months of increasing efforts by Iranian operatives to recruit individuals online, including minors, to carry out intelligence-gathering and low-level operational tasks in exchange for money