Key Highlights
- Eli Lavon was indicted in Israel for allegedly carrying out tasks for Iranian intelligence.
- Prosecutors say he was paid about $1,379 in cryptocurrency for completing surveillance assignments.
- Authorities say Lavon is the first American prosecuted in Israel as part of the country’s recent Iran-linked espionage cases.
A 21-year-old American student living in Israel has been charged with spying for Iran after prosecutors alleged he carried out surveillance tasks for people linked to Iranian intelligence in exchange for cryptocurrency.
According to a CNN report, the student, Eli Lavon, was formally indicted on Friday by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office. He faces two charges of contacting a foreign agent and 14 charges of sharing information that could help an enemy.
Telegram job led to alleged contact
Prosecutors say the alleged activities began in late 2025 after Lavon responded to a job advertisement on the Telegram messaging app while visiting family in the United States. According to the indictment filed by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office, he was contacted about a month later by someone prosecutors say was working for Iranian intelligence.
After returning to Israel, he allegedly received a series of assignments that involved gathering information and documenting locations in Jerusalem. Prosecutors claim he completed the tasks while communicating through two Telegram accounts and using three different mobile phones to stay in touch with the foreign agents.
Surveillance tasks allegedly carried out in Jerusalem
The indictment alleges that Lavon filmed an abandoned building in a religious neighborhood of Jerusalem and recorded video inside a grocery store selected by the handler. Authorities believe these locations were chosen for a reason, although the indictment does not explain why each site was important.
In another assignment, he was instructed to leave a cigarette pack containing a note that read, “The job is complete,” inside a restroom trash can at Hadar Mall in Jerusalem. Prosecutors say he received hundreds of dollars in cryptocurrency for carrying out those activities.
Authorities further allege that Lavon later cut off contact with the first handler but was soon approached by another person linked to Iranian intelligence.
During that exchange, prosecutors say he hid a USB flash drive wrapped in a 50-shekel note at a restaurant in Jerusalem and sent the handler a selfie along with a picture of his passport. The second handler also asked him to provide the names of fellow students at his seminary, but prosecutors say Lavon refused to involve his classmates.
The indictment states that he received about $518 in cryptocurrency from the second contact, bringing his total crypto payments to roughly $1,379.
Officials warn about online recruitment
Ronit Shentzer Yaakobi of the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office said the case illustrates how foreign intelligence agencies use online platforms to recruit individuals.
“This indictment illustrates how foreign intelligence agencies attempt to exploit the digital sphere to identify, recruit, and operate individuals from within Israel, and how important it is to remain vigilant and immediately sever contact when approached in this manner,” she said.
Lavon’s lawyer, Raz Bar Tzvi, disputed the allegations. He stated that simply being contacted online by a foreign individual does not make someone a spy. He also said the facts described in the indictment do not reflect what actually happened, but did not say how Lavon plans to respond to the charges in court.
Part of a wider espionage crackdown
Israeli authorities say the case is part of a larger effort to stop alleged spying activities linked to Iran. Since 2023, around 60 people have been charged in similar cases. Officials also say that some of the places allegedly photographed by suspects in earlier investigations were later hit during Iranian missile attacks.
The crackdown has also extended to cryptocurrency. Last year, Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced the seizure of about $1.5 million from 187 cryptocurrency wallets allegedly linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Authorities said the wallets were believed to have been used to evade sanctions and finance terrorism.
According to prosecutors, Lavon’s case is believed to be the first involving an American citizen accused of taking part in this alleged espionage campaign while living in Israel.
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