Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel
Iran has executed a 27-year-old man accused of spying for Israel’s intelligence services, state media and international reports said on Saturday, marking the latest in a series of capital punishments tied to espionage allegations amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv. The executed man, identified as Aghil Keshavarz, was accused by Iranian authorities of collaborating with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and conducting hundreds of missions that involved photographing military and security sites in cities including Urmia, Tehran and Isfahan. The judiciary’s official news agency reported that his death sentence was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court and carried out after the completion of legal procedures. Iranian officials say the case forms part of broader efforts to counter alleged foreign intelligence operations following a 12-day conflict with Israel earlier in 2025. Critics and human rights groups, however, have raised concerns over the transparency of such trials, noting that confessions in many espionage cases are often extracted under duress and that due process may not be fully observed. The execution adds to a growing number of individuals put to death in Iran this year on charges related to alleged cooperation with Israeli intelligence, underscoring the deep geopolitical rift and security crackdown within the Islamic Republic.
About the Author
