An Israeli air force major is accused of raking in more than $160,000 by betting on the timing of Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran using classified military information.
The reservist officer allegedly tipped off a civilian accomplice about the launch of the strikes, allowing the pair to place winning bets on the Polymarket prediction site ahead of the operation.
A court in Tel Aviv heard the major had been briefed on the planned assault at a confidential meeting a day before Israel’s opening strikes on June 13, 2025.
Prosecutors say he then passed on the sensitive details, enabling the civilian to gamble on when the bombing campaign would begin.
When Israeli warplanes were en route to Iran, the officer allegedly provided further updates, helping refine the bet, according to the indictment.
The pair are accused of pocketing $162,663 in winnings, which they agreed to split, with the reservist’s share transferred via cryptocurrency.
They were indicted last month on serious security offences, as well as bribery and obstruction of justice, after a gag order on the case was partially lifted.
Authorities say the scheme continued beyond the initial strike.
The duo allegedly placed further bets on key moments in the 12-day-war, including correctly predicting when the conflict would end, before they were eventually arrested earlier this year.
In September 2025, the reservist is also accused of leaking details of a planned strike in Yemen, earning the pair thousands more dollars.
They later attempted another bet on a fresh escalation with Iran in January, but cancelled it after concerns were raised online about the account.
Fearing they had been exposed, the civilian allegedly altered his profile and deleted WhatsApp messages between the pair.
Prosecutors have asked the Tel Aviv District Court to keep both suspects in custody until the end of proceedings.
Following the indictment last month, the IDF said that it viewed the case ‘gravely,’ but stressed that ‘no operational harm was caused.’
‘This constitutes a severe ethical failure and a clear crossing of a red line,’ the military said at the time, adding that the alleged actions ‘are not in line with IDF values and what is expected of servicemembers.’
Polymarket is one of the world’s biggest prediction betting sites, where users can stake money on everything from elections to wars using cryptocurrency and bank payments.
The fast-growing platforms have exploded in popularity in recent years, allowing punters to gamble on the outcome of major global events.
But they have also faced criticism over the risk of insider trading, with concerns some users could profit from privileged information.
Polymarket in particular has come under scrutiny after a series of well-timed bets ahead of military action in Iran and Venezuela.
Some users appeared to make significant profits by correctly predicting strikes before they were publicly announced, raising questions about how they obtained their information.
