A military court in Israel sentenced a conscript soldier to five years in prison on Wednesday for transmitting videos of missile interceptions to an Iranian agent during the 12-day war between the two countries in June 2025. The soldier, who received payment for one of the recordings, was convicted of contact with a foreign agent and passing information potentially beneficial to the enemy, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced. The case stems from the period of direct military confrontation known in Israel as Operation Rising Lion, when Iranian missile salvos targeted Israeli territory and were met with active defence systems.

The court found that the soldier had been approached via Telegram with offers of paid photography tasks. He sent two videos of rocket interceptions filmed in civilian areas, as well as other footage, including a clip of missile impact that he had located online. The military prosecution had sought a seven-year term, but the tribunal took into account that the defendant had not disclosed classified military information or any material obtained through his official duties. Crucially, he voluntarily terminated the communication and reported the contact to his commander before his arrest by the Shin Bet internal security service. In addition to the custodial sentence, the court imposed a suspended term, a fine of 1,000 shekels, and demotion to the rank of private.

The case is the latest in a series of espionage prosecutions that Israeli security officials say reflect a systematic Iranian campaign to recruit Israelis through social media and messaging applications. According to Israeli assessments, Tehran has intensified these efforts since the outbreak of the Gaza war, with dozens of citizens, including soldiers and reservists, charged with spying for Iran over the past two years. The recruitment often begins with seemingly innocuous tasks, such as photographing public places, before escalating to more sensitive assignments. In response, Israel has opened a dedicated wing at Damon prison in Haifa for those accused of such offences, and security agencies continue to issue public warnings about online approaches from foreign agents.

Viewed from Tehran, state-linked media reported the sentencing without editorial comment, while Iranian officials have consistently denied allegations of running agent networks inside Israel. In Western capitals, the episode is seen as further evidence of the expanding shadow war between Israel and Iran, in which intelligence operations and proxy conflicts have increasingly blurred the line between military confrontation and covert subversion. The soldier’s case is now concluded, but the broader judicial process continues: most of the dozens of related indictments remain pending, and Israeli authorities have indicated that investigations into Iranian recruitment networks are ongoing.