Two Israeli brothers have been charged with spying for Iran after being accused of selling supposedly classified information, at least some of which was faked using AI.
According to an indictment filed by the State Attorney’s Office in Jerusalem, the two suspects, both in their 20s, had been in touch with an agent of the Islamic Republic believed to be seeking military secrets.
The brothers were allegedly paid in total the equivalent of around £24,000 in cryptocurrency after one of them had first been contacted by the spy in August 2025 with an offer of money in exchange for information.
It is said the suspects used a false name and responded as if they were one person, saying they were due to enlist in the IDF Intelligence Directorate's Unit 8200, which is responsible for Signal Intelligence.
The indictment alleges that, to win the Iranian agent’s trust, they said a friend was already in the unit and created a Telegram group on which they could all communicate.
It is alleged that the friend was in fact a fictitious creation which the brothers authenticated using AI to create both a photo image and apparently official documents as evidence of his employment in the unit.
The suspects are accused of using AI for research on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) locations in Iran to create fake military plans outlining Israel’s intended targets.
It is also alleged that they responded to the agent asking whether Israel was involved in the helicopter crash in 2024 in which President Ebrahim Raisi died, using AI to fabricate a military document apparently confirming that was the case.
As reported by the Jerusalem Post, the brothers’ lawyer said: “The indictment is outrageous.
“As seen in the indictment materials, these are two patriotic Zionist brothers who sought to trick the Iranians.
“The Jewish mind is known for inventing patents, and as loyal sons of the start-up nation, they sold fabricated information to the Iranians using ChatGPT in exchange for money.
“Their intention was to harm and deceive the Iranian enemy, and they succeeded in doing so. Instead of filing an indictment in this unnecessary case, the state should award them the Israel Prize for their contribution to the nation's security.”
One of the two suspects has been ordered by a court to remain in custody until their trial commences.
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