TEHRAN —Iran on Monday executed a man it claims was spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, as the conflict between the two bitter foes stretches into its second week.
The man, identified by Iran’s judiciary as Mohammad-Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh, was hanged in the early morning hours. Authorities say he was involved in “intelligence cooperation with the Zionist regime,” a term Iran commonly uses when referring to Israel.
In a brief statement carried by state media, officials alleged that Shayesteh had close ties with Mossad and accused him of providing classified information. He was also charged with working alongside Iran International, a Persian-language television station based in London that Tehran has long viewed with hostility.
Iran has previously labelled the broadcaster a “terrorist organisation,” claiming it receives backing from Israel and other foreign actors. During the nationwide protests that swept across Iran in 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini, the government frequently singled out Iran International as a source of incitement.
Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman, died in police custody after she was arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code. Her death sparked months of unrest and international condemnation.
While few independent details about Shayesteh’s case have been released, Iranian authorities maintain that the court followed due process. Trials involving alleged spies are often held behind closed doors, making independent verification difficult.
The execution comes just one day after Iran’s judiciary also confirmed the hanging of Majid Mosayebi, who was similarly convicted of spying for Mossad. Both cases appear to signal Tehran’s intent to move swiftly against those it sees as collaborating with its main adversary.
“Security-related cases, especially those involving support for the usurping regime (Israel) and acting as a fifth column of the enemy, will be handled more swiftly,” said Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, Iran’s judiciary chief, in a televised address on Sunday.
These latest hangings arrive at a time of escalating violence between Iran and Israel. Military exchanges have intensified over the past 11 days, with both sides trading fire in Syria, Lebanon, and through cyberattacks.
Iran, which does not recognise Israel as a state, has for decades considered Mossad a primary threat to its national security. It routinely accuses Israel of orchestrating sabotage, assassinations of nuclear scientists, and support for opposition groups within Iran.
Israel rarely comments publicly on such accusations.
Iran has one of the highest execution rates in the world, second only to China, according to rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Many of the condemned face charges related to drug offences, murder, or security threats.
Human rights groups continue to criticise Iran’s justice system for what they describe as lack of transparency, harsh punishments, and politically motivated charges.
As tensions with Israel flare, it remains to be seen whether more executions will follow in the name of national security. For now, these back-to-back hangings serve as a stark warning from Tehran both to its enemies abroad and its critics at home.
