Iran Executes Three Men Convicted of Spying for Mossad Amid Rising Tensions

In a stark escalation of its internal crackdown on espionage, Iran executed three men on Wednesday after convicting them of collaborating with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. The executions took place in the northwestern city of Urmia, near the Turkish border, according to Iranian judiciary sources.

The men—identified as Idris Aali, Azad Shojaei, and Rasoul Ahmad—were accused of smuggling remotely controlled assassination equipment into the country under the guise of alcohol shipments. Iranian authorities allege the devices were intended for the targeted killing of high-profile Iranian figures.

The judiciary stated that the trio had been in contact with a key Mossad operative in a neighboring country. After a trial in the Revolutionary Court of Urmia and a subsequent review by the Supreme Court, the death sentences were upheld and carried out.

These executions come just one day after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect, following nearly two weeks of open conflict. Iranian media also reported the arrest of over 700 individuals allegedly linked to Mossad during the recent hostilities.

Iran, which has long accused Israel of conducting covert operations on its soil—including assassinations of nuclear scientists—has intensified its efforts to dismantle what it describes as foreign espionage networks. Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized Iran for its high rate of executions and lack of transparency in judicial proceedings.