The Iranian government has executed a man identified as Babak Shahbazi after convicting him of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, according to the country’s judiciary.
The execution was carried out by hanging on Wednesday morning following what officials described as due legal process and confirmation of the sentence by Iran’s Supreme Court, state-affiliated Mizan Online reported.
While the exact date of Shahbazi’s arrest remains unclear, authorities said he was found guilty of the capital offences of “corruption on earth” and “waging war against God”, charges frequently used in Iran for serious crimes, including espionage.
According to the report, Shahbazi worked in the design and installation of industrial cooling systems for companies connected to Iran’s military, security, and telecommunications sectors.
His position allegedly granted him access to sensitive sites, which he then used to gather and share intelligence with Mossad in return for money and foreign residency.
The execution comes in the wake of heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, especially following a June 2025 conflict between the two nations.
In response, Iranian authorities have vowed to act swiftly against anyone suspected of aiding Israel, which Tehran considers a hostile state.
Just last month, Roozbeh Vadi, an employee of a firm linked to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, was also executed after being convicted of leaking information about nuclear scientists and facilities to Israeli intelligence.
In late July, Iran’s intelligence ministry announced the arrest of 20 individuals allegedly working as operational or support agents for Mossad.
These arrests reportedly spanned Tehran and multiple provinces.
Iran remains one of the world’s most prolific users of the death penalty.
According to human rights groups, including Amnesty International, Iran ranks second only to China in the number of annual executions, many of which are linked to political or security-related charges.
