The indictment against a reserve Air Force officer and his associate was cleared for publication this evening (Thursday), revealing a serious security affair involving the use of classified information for gambling profits.
According to the indictment, the officer exploited his access to highly classified information about IDF strikes in Iran and Yemen in order to enable his friend to place bets on the timing of operations on the international betting platform “Polymarket."
The indictment states that the two, who knew each other from their shared workplace, formed a “bribery agreement," under which the officer passed his friend classified information about “Operation Roaring Lion" - a large-scale Israeli Air Force strike in Iran carried out in June.
The friend used this information to place bets on Polymarket, a platform that allows users to wager on future events using cryptocurrencies. The specific question they bet on was: “Will an Israeli military operation against Iran occur before July?"
The indictment describes dramatic moments on June 12, 2025: the officer was at an Air Force base ahead of the operation and participated in a classified briefing, where he signed a confidentiality declaration.
Immediately after the briefing, the officer sent a WhatsApp message to his friend informing him that the strike would take place that night, suggesting he significantly increase the amount of the bet. When the aircraft took off, the officer sent another message: “It’s happening now."
The two made approximately $128,000 in profit from these bets, which they later split. The officer received his share in cryptocurrency, which was converted into about 200,000 shekels in cash.
The illegal activity did not stop with Iran. In September 2025, while serving in reserve duty involving sensitive operations near Yemen, the officer and his associate repeated the same method and successfully bet on Israeli strikes in Yemen on September 16 and 19.
At the beginning of January this year, the officer informed his friend of a “heating up" and an upcoming strike in Iran. However, at that stage, the friend became exposed to online publications that flagged his profile as potentially having “insider information." Fearing exposure, the two coordinated the deletion of WhatsApp messages and screenshots in an attempt to obstruct a future investigation.
The two are charged with serious offenses, including transmitting classified information, giving and receiving bribes, and obstruction of justice. The associate is additionally charged with aggravated espionage.
The officer is charged with transmitting classified information, accepting bribes, and obstruction of justice. The associate is charged with transmitting classified information, aggravated espionage, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
The state is requesting that the court confiscate mobile phones, computers, and cash and cryptocurrency assets worth hundreds of thousands of shekels that were seized from the suspects.