Iran’s judiciary on Monday confirmed the execution of a man accused of spying for Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, amid escalating clashes between the two rival nations.
The man, identified as Esmaeil Fekri, was reportedly arrested in 2023. According to Mizan Online, the judiciary’s official news outlet, he was convicted on charges of “corruption on Earth” and “moharebeh”, a term meaning waging war against God.
“Esmaeil Fekri, a Mossad agent convicted of the capital offences of ‘corruption on Earth’ and ‘moharebeh’ (waging war against God) was hanged after going through the full process of criminal procedure,” Mizan stated.
The outlet added that Fekri’s execution was carried out after all judicial processes were completed and the sentence was affirmed by the supreme court.
Meanwhile, Iran’s chief justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei called for speedy judicial action against anyone found collaborating with Israel, stressing the urgency in light of the ongoing conflict.
“If someone is arrested for having ties to and collaborating with the Zionist regime, their trial and punishment should be carried out and announced very quickly, in accordance with the law and given the war conditions,” Ejei said, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Just a day prior, Iranian outlets reported that two individuals with alleged Mossad ties were apprehended by police in Alborz province, west of Tehran.
Coinciding with this, Israeli authorities announced on Sunday that two of its citizens were taken into custody on suspicion of collaborating with Iranian intelligence.
This recent wave of arrests and executions follows a surprise offensive launched by Israel on Friday, targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure.
Israel’s strikes have so far claimed the lives of at least 224 individuals within Iran, including senior military figures, nuclear experts, and civilians.
In response, Iran has launched several drone and missile attacks into Israeli territory, with the latest figures from the Israeli prime minister’s office indicating at least 24 casualties.
For years, Iran has refused to acknowledge Israel’s legitimacy and has consistently blamed the Jewish state for a series of covert operations, including sabotage of nuclear sites and the targeted killing of its scientists.
