Iran has reportedly executed a man convicted of spying for Israel, marking the latest in a series of executions carried out following the 12-day war between the two longtime foes in June.
The judiciary’s media arm, Mizan News Agency, confirmed the execution on Saturday, December 20, saying the sentence was implemented after being upheld by the Supreme Court and after all legal procedures had been completed.
According to Mizan, the executed man, identified as Aghil Keshavarz, was found guilty of spying for what it described as the “Zionist regime,” as well as communicating and cooperating with Israel and photographing sensitive military and security locations.
“The death sentence for Aghil Keshavarz, found guilty of spying for the Zionist regime, communicating and cooperating with the regime, and taking photographs of military and security sites, was carried out after being upheld by the Supreme Court and following legal procedures,” the agency reported.
The judiciary said Keshavarz, described as an agent of Israel’s Mossad foreign intelligence service, was arrested between April and May in Urmia, a city in northwestern Iran.
Mizan added that the court was presented with the man’s confession during the trial.
Details of the activities attributed to the convicted man were also outlined by the judiciary.
“Photographing targeted locations, planting tracking devices, conducting opinion polling, and examining traffic patterns in specific routes were among the missions Aghil Keshavarz carried out on the orders of Mossad officers,” Mizan stated.
Naijaonpoint reports that the execution comes in the aftermath of the unprecedented June conflict between Iran and Israel. On June 13, Israel launched wide-ranging attacks on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, as well as residential areas.
Iran responded with waves of drone and missile strikes on Israel, leading to a 12-day conflict that later saw the United States join Israel in striking Iranian nuclear sites.
The war disrupted high-level diplomatic talks between Tehran and Washington aimed at reaching a new agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme.
It was also the first sustained direct conflict between Iran and Israel, following sporadic tit-for-tat attacks in 2024 that had stopped short of open warfare.
A ceasefire between the two sides took effect on June 24.
Since the end of the conflict, Iranian authorities have vowed swift trials for individuals suspected of collaborating with Israel.
The government has announced multiple arrests and confirmed the execution of at least 10 people convicted of working with Mossad since the war.
Iran, which does not recognise Israel, has long accused it of orchestrating sabotage attacks on its nuclear facilities and carrying out assassinations of Iranian scientists.
In October, Tehran further tightened its laws against espionage, particularly targeting those accused of spying for Israel and the United States.
Under the revised legislation, such individuals will “be punished by the confiscation of all assets… and subject to the death penalty,” authorities said.
Previously, Iran’s espionage laws did not single out specific countries, and spying was not automatically punishable by death.
The latest execution underscores Iran’s hardline stance on espionage amid heightened tensions with Israel and its allies.