Iran carries out two high-profile executions—one accused of espionage for Israel’s Mossad, the other tied to ISIS—fueling fears of deeper covert conflict in the region.
In a chilling display of its resolve amid mounting tensions with Israel and regional terror groups, Iran on Wednesday executed two men—one accused of being an Israeli Mossad spy, the other a trained Islamic State (ISIS) militant, according to reports from Iranian state media and the Associated Press.
The alleged Mossad operative, Rouzbeh Vadi, was charged with delivering classified intelligence to Israel, including information about an Iranian nuclear scientist reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes last June. According to the judiciary-run Mizan Online, Vadi met with Mossad agents five times in Vienna, serving as a valuable asset due to his connections with “sensitive agencies” inside Iran.
The report claimed Vadi confessed on state television to working for the Mossad in exchange for financial compensation. However, observers caution that such confessions in Iran are often made under duress and lack transparency.
The second man executed, Mehdi Asgharzadeh, was convicted of terrorist sabotage on behalf of ISIS. Iranian officials say Asgharzadeh underwent military training in Syria and Iraq, later infiltrating Iran with a four-man cell. The other members of the cell were reportedly killed in a firefight with Iranian security forces.
Both executions followed final rulings from Iran’s Supreme Court, which upheld the verdicts handed down by lower courts. Authorities emphasized that the legal process had been fully observed.
These latest executions are part of a pattern of high-stakes eliminations targeting individuals Iran accuses of collaborating with Israel’s intelligence services or foreign terror cells.
In recent years, Iran has dramatically escalated executions tied to espionage allegations, often involving claims of links to Mossad operations.
- In May, Iran executed Pedram Madani, 41, on similar charges.
- In December 2023, an “Israeli Mossad spy” was executed in Iran’s southeast.
- In late 2022, four men were hanged for allegedly spying for Israel after reportedly meeting with Mossad chief David Barnea and training in Africa.
In another case last year, Iran claimed it executed a Mossad agent linked to a drone strike targeting a defense ministry facility.
With Iran and Israel locked in an intensifying shadow war—spanning assassinations, cyber attacks, and sabotage—the executions are seen as part of Tehran’s campaign to signal deterrence and reassert control over its intelligence vulnerabilities.
