How $1,000 in Crypto Bought Israel’s Missile Defense Secrets

Israeli authorities indicted IDF reservist Raz Cohen on March 20 for passing classified Iron Dome air defense secrets to Iranian intelligence in exchange for approximately $1,000 in crypto.

The Shin Bet and police’s Lahav 433 unit filed charges at Jerusalem District Court after a joint investigation conducted during Operation Roaring Lion.

He Had Access to Iron Dome’s Secrets. Iran Bought Them for $1,000 in Crypto

Cohen, 26, served in the Iron Dome system’s command and control unit during mandatory service from 2019 to 2022. According to the Times of Israel, he maintained contact with an Iranian handler on Telegram starting in December 2025.

Over roughly one month, he transmitted 27 photos and videos showing firing processes, rates of fire, and arming procedures. He also provided GPS coordinates of Iron Dome batteries at Hatzerim and Palmachim bases, plus locations of seven Israeli Air Force (IAF) bases.

Cohen volunteered his military role to the handler unprompted. He also passed personal details of Israeli security personnel, including a guard at the President’s Residence and a relative serving as an IAF pilot.

The handler later reportedly threatened to expose Cohen by posting a photo of his sister on a Telegram profile. Cohen blocked the contact and deleted Telegram in February 2026. Authorities arrested him on March 1, one day after the war with Iran began.

Wartime Espionage Charges Carry Life Sentence

Cohen faces charges of assisting the enemy during wartime and transmitting information to the enemy with intent to harm state security.

Both offenses carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under Israeli law.

This marks the first known espionage case involving an Iron Dome operator. Israeli authorities report that dozens of Israelis have faced similar Iran-linked charges over the past two years, with recruitment attempts surging through social media and encrypted messaging apps during the conflict.

The case exposes how adversary intelligence services use small crypto payments on encrypted platforms to acquire classified defense information from military personnel with active security clearances.

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