Tehran: Iran on Wednesday executed three men convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad and smuggling assassination-related equipment, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency.
The men — Idris Ali, Azad Shojai, and Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul — were executed in the northwestern city of Urmia, near the Turkish border. Authorities claimed they smuggled tools used in the killing of an unnamed target, though no further details were released.
Iran’s judiciary stated the trio was found guilty of “cooperation favouring the Zionist regime” and attempting to import materials to carry out assassinations. Their actions were linked directly to Israeli intelligence operations.
The executions come just days after a ceasefire was declared between Iran and Israel following hostilities that erupted on June 13. Since then, Tehran has intensified arrests and prosecutions of individuals suspected of espionage and collaboration with Mossad.
Earlier this week, Iran executed another man, Mohammad-Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh, on similar charges. Authorities have announced multiple arrests of alleged Mossad agents in recent days, part of what officials describe as a broader clampdown on internal threats.
Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei has vowed swift action in such cases, calling collaborators with Israel a “fifth column” aiding an “usurping regime.” He emphasized the judiciary’s resolve in dealing with national security threats.
Iran remains one of the world’s top executioners, second only to China, according to human rights watchdogs including Amnesty International, which continues to raise concerns over due process and transparency in such cases.
