In a joint statement, the Israeli police and the internal security services (Shin Bet) announced the arrest of two Israeli army reservists deployed in northern Israel, suspected of acting on behalf of an Iranian agent in exchange for payment.

The two suspects, Yuri Elisfov and Georgiyan Drayev, both aged 21, are accused of transferring classified information and aiding the enemy in time of war, according to Israeli media reports, including Haaretz, the Times of Israel, the Jerusalem Post, and Ynet.

According to the State Prosecutor's Office, Yuri Elisfov received at least $2,500, as reported by Ynet and the Jerusalem Post (with Haaretz reporting 12,600 shekels, or $3,500), for his services, while Georgiyan Drayev reportedly received only $50, according to Ynet. The first of the young reservists began carrying out missions for an Iranian agent last September and also recruited his friend, according to the joint police and Shin Bet statement.

The two suspects allegedly spray-painted graffiti in northern Israel and Tel Aviv and hung banners with the slogan "Children of Rouhollah," in reference to Ayatollah Khomeini, the former Supreme Leader of Iran who died in 1989 and the spiritual guide of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to the statement.

Iron Dome

At one point, according to the charges, the two men also exchanged information on secret operations conducted on behalf of Iran, and Georgiyan Drayev decided to end his involvement. However, Elisfov, who serves in an Iron Dome unit of the Israeli army - its missile defense system - and has access to classified information, continued to follow the Iranian agent's instructions, sending a video he had filmed to show the system's operation. According to the police, the video contained highly sensitive information, which could have significantly damaged army operations.

This case echoes another major arrest announced by the Israeli police on October 21, as the Israeli state's offensive against Hezbollah was launched and the Gaza war seemed far from over. The Israeli police claimed to have arrested seven Israelis accused of espionage for Iran, having gathered 'sensitive' information on military bases and energy sites. These five adults and two minors were reportedly recruited by Iranian intelligence agents, and the information they gathered "caused security damage," the police said. Last December, Shin Bet announced the arrest of a network of 30 people, mostly Jewish, who allegedly spied for Israel.

The unfulfilled objectives of the alleged cells included the assassination of an Israeli nuclear scientist and former military officials, while a group gathered information on military bases and air defenses, said the security service. Last week, Shin Bet and Israeli police declared that a father and son had transmitted details about Israeli forces' movements, including on the Golan Heights where they lived.