Israel says 4 people arrested for spying for Iran when they were minors

Israel has arrested four people accused of spying for Iran when they were minors, the country's military and main intelligence agency said in a joint statement Friday.

The Shin Bet intelligence service, Israeli police and Israel Defense Forces Israel said the civilian and three soldiers were suspected of "having long-term contacts with Iranian intelligence elements and carrying out missions under their direction."

These allegedly include documenting various sites around Israel, including train stations, shopping centers, security cameras and "records of the Air Force Technical School where some of the suspects studied."

"In addition, some of the defendants approached the operator on their own initiative to carry out security missions," the statement continued.

The four were arrested in March. The three soldiers are suspected of carrying out the covert operations "before their recruitment to the IDF," according to the bulletin.

The four were about 17 when they committed the offenses, according to Israeli news outlet Ynet.

Twenty-five Israelis and foreign residents in Israel were indicted on charges of spying for Iran in 2025, according to Shin Bet's annual report, published in February. It said recruitment attempts on Israelis had increased by 400% compared to 2024.