Iran hangs man convicted of spying for Mossad

Execution follows arrest in 2023 for espionage

Fire from an Israeli attack on the Shahran oil depot in Tehran on Sunday. The shadow conflict has broken into open warfare. Getty Images

Iran has said it has hanged a man convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad intelligence service.

The Iranian judiciary's Mizan news website said Esmaeil Fekri was arrested in 2023 for espionage. It said he was executed after all legal procedures were completed and that the verdict was upheld by Iran's Supreme Court.

“During his collaboration with Mossad, Esmaeil Fekri attempted to provide classified and sensitive information about the country to the enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran and receive a reward in return,” Mizan said on Monday.

He was accused of passing to Mossad “classified information, including sensitive locations and headquarters, information about specific individuals, organisational missions etc”.

“In accordance with the court rulings and legal procedures, the defendant was hanged and his death sentence was carried out,” said Mizan.

Iranian media reported on Sunday that police in Alborz province, west of Tehran, had arrested two people suspected of having links to Mossad.

Later that day, Israel said it arrested two citizens suspected of working for Iran's intelligence services.

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Israel and Iran have been entangled in a shadow war for decades, but since Friday the conflict has broken into open warfare. Israel launched a surprise attack on Iranian nuclear and military centres over fears that Tehran is seeking to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies that accusation.

Iran has retaliated with barrages of drones and missiles that have killed at least 24 people in Israel, according to the latest figures from the prime minister's office on Monday.

Tehran has put to death many people convicted of having links with Mossad and enabling its operations. Iran has long accused Israeli intelligence of carrying out sabotage operations against its nuclear facilities and assassinating its scientists.

Human rights groups have accused Iran of carrying out “sham trials” and issuing sentences for spying without credible evidence.

Chief Justice of Iran Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei vowed that there would be no delay to trials for people arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.

"Their trial and punishment should be carried out and announced very quickly, in accordance with the law and given the war conditions," he said on Monday, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency.