A man convicted of spying for Israel was executed in Iran on Wednesday, after the Supreme Court upheld his sentence. He had passed information about a nuclear scientist killed during the 12-day war with Israel in June.
Roozbeh Vadi, who authorities had accused of spying for Mossad, was found to have transferred sensitive information after meetings in Vienna and was paid with cryptocurrency. Authorities said his execution was routine.
“Roozbeh Vadi … was executed following judicial proceedings and confirmation of his sentence by the Supreme Court,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said.
Mr Vadi’s case followed an intensified campaign by Tehran to tackle Israeli espionage within Iran.
Iran regularly announces the execution of those convicted of having worked for foreign intelligence services. After Israel attacked Iran on June 13, Tehran pledged swift trials for suspected collaborators.
The US said Tehran suffered blows to its nuclear programme during the war and Israel boasted about its use of Mossad to carry out covert operations. Since then, Iran has announced several executions related to spying for Israel.
In June, Tehran executed three Kurdish men convicted of aiding Mossad in the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh-further signalling an aggressive posture against Israeli intelligence activity.
Meanwhile, human rights organisations talk of a broader pattern: an authoritarian state using the death penalty to stifle dissent, including executions of political opponents and those accused of espionage, critics say, without due process.
At least 612 people were executed between January-June 2025, an increase of 119 per cent compared to the same period last year when 279 executions were recorded, Iran Human Rights said in June.
