Iran executes man convicted of spying for Israel

Iranian authorities on Wednesday executed a man convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, in what marks the latest in a string of espionage-related executions targeting the country’s long-standing adversary.

“Babak Shahbazi … was executed by hanging this morning following due legal process and the confirmation of his sentence by the Supreme Court,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online news outlet reported.

The state-run IRNA news agency said Shahbazi was convicted of espionage and security cooperation with Israel, alleging he engaged in “intelligence exchanges with Mossad-linked operatives.”

Shahbazi was accused of offering to sell sensitive information about senior Iranian officials to a Mossad agent, Esmaeil Fikri, who himself was executed in June 2025 for spying for Israel. 

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According to Türkiye Today, authorities said Shahbazi held encrypted online meetings with Israeli operatives, received Mossad training, and attempted to gather intelligence on senior officials and strategic facilities.

He was handed a death sentence for the capital offences of “corruption on earth” and “waging war against God.”

According to Mizan, Shahbazi worked in the design and installation of industrial cooling systems for companies linked to telecommunications, military, and security institutions. His work reportedly gave him access to sensitive sites, which he allegedly exploited “to provide information to Mossad in exchange for money and residency in a foreign country.”

The execution comes against the backdrop of heightened Israeli-Iranian tensions following their brief war in June, with Tehran vowing tough reprisals against those found guilty of collaborating with Israel.

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