Two Israeli Air Force personnel have been in custody for approximately one month on suspicion of spying for Iran, Israeli media reported Friday. Lee Ayash, head of the criminal investigations division of the Israeli military police, confirmed the arrests via i24 News. Ayash stated there are suspicions that Iranian intelligence operatives actively recruited the soldiers and exploited their positions to gain access to sensitive information about Israeli military systems, sites and high-ranking figures.

Indictments are expected to be filed within days. The charges are expected to be severe — potentially including aiding an enemy during wartime, one of the most serious criminal categories under Israeli military law. An unnamed military official confirmed the security establishment would take “strict measures” in response to the case.

The case is not limited to the two serving IAF personnel. The i24 News report indicated that additional arrests were made in earlier stages of the investigation — including personnel from sensitive units such as air defense. The report specifically flagged the possibility that the network extends beyond the two currently named suspects, suggesting Iranian intelligence may have achieved a broader penetration of Israeli military structures than the public arrests indicate.

This is not the first case of its kind during the current conflict. On March 20, Israeli police arrested a reserve soldier working within the Iron Dome air defense system on suspicion of spying for Iran. That earlier arrest involved access to one of Israel’s most operationally critical defensive platforms. Taken together, the two confirmed cases point to a sustained Iranian intelligence effort targeting the specific layers of Israeli military infrastructure most directly involved in defending Israeli territory — air defense, radar systems and command networks.

These arrests mirror what has happened inside Iran itself. Iran conducted its own internal spy purge beginning in mid-April, with 50 individuals arrested across 16 provinces — suspected of mapping missile targets and military sites for Israeli and U.S. intelligence during the war. Both sides have simultaneously been fighting a kinetic air and ground war while running aggressive counterintelligence operations against each other’s military infrastructure. The Israeli cases specifically target personnel with access to air defense systems and classified military sites — exactly the kind of targeting data that would allow Iran to plan more effective strikes on Israeli territory.

The timing of this disclosure is also notable. The arrests happened approximately one month ago — placing them squarely in the early weeks of hostilities — and are being made public now as a ceasefire holds and negotiations with Iran approach a second round in Pakistan. Whether the decision to disclose reflects an internal IDF communication effort, a deliberate counter-intelligence signal to Tehran, or is simply the result of legal proceedings forcing public acknowledgement is not clear from the available reporting.

Sources

• Anadolu Agency — Israel Arrests 2 Air Force Personnel for Alleged Spying for Iran (April 18, 2026)
• i24 News (Hebrew) — Military Police Criminal Investigations Division Statement, April 18, 2026