Report: Iran hacked ex-Israeli minister’s cell phone

During 12-day war with Israel, Iranian government reportedly managed to gain access to a former senior Israeli minister’s cellphone.

By World Israel News Staff

Iranian hackers managed to gain access to former senior Israeli government minister Ayelet Shaked’s personal cellular device, Channel 12 reported.

According to the report, Shaked’s cellphone was hacked during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.

The successful hacking followed multiple failed attempts by Iranian agents to hack Shaked’s device, the report said.

The hacking was enabled after Shaked clicked on a link sent by Iranian operatives, enabling them to remotely access her phone.

The Shin Bet security agency notified Shaked of the hacking two weeks after it occurred, the report added.

Sources close to Shaked who spoke on condition of anonymity told Yedioth Aharonoth that the Iranian infiltration of the former minister’s phone was limited, granting them access only to her Telegram account. The sources said there was no material of interest on the account.

Shaked, 49, previously served as justice minister and interior minister, and she twice headed the now-defunct Yamina Party.

After Yamina failed to enter the Knesset in the 2022 election while running on a joint list with the Jewish Home Party, also defunct, Shaked withdrew from political life.

This was not the first time Iran’s spy agencies have targeted Shaked.

While serving as justice minister, she was warned by Nadav Argaman, then-director of the Shin Bet, that Iran had tapped her phone calls.

Iranian hackers have duped several senior Israeli officials into clicking on a link sent via a fake account masquerading as the official Telegram service’s account.

The messages encourage users to click on the link in order to connect their Telegram and WhatsApp accounts.