Iran hangs another alleged Israeli spy amid wave of espionage executions

Iran on Wednesday executed a man accused of spying for Israel, marking the latest in a growing series of executions carried out during the country’s ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States.

According to an AFP report, the man is identified as Ehsan Afreshteh. He was convicted of passing sensitive information to Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad. Afreshteh was hanged after the Supreme Court upheld the verdict against him.

The execution comes as Tehran continues a broad security crackdown targeting people accused of espionage, terrorism, anti-state activities and links to foreign powers amid heightened regional tensions.

'Working with Mossad'

According to the report, Iranian authorities claimed that Afreshteh had been trained by Mossad in Nepal before allegedly providing intelligence to Israel.

More from World

“He was arrested and tried for espionage and collaboration with the Zionist regime,” Mizan Online (Iran's judiciary website) said, using Iran’s term for Israel.

Iran has sharply increased arrests and executions linked to national security cases since the war with Israel and the US started on February 28. Tehran, with the help of its state media, has repeatedly warned that those accused of cooperating with foreign intelligence agencies or militant groups would face severe punishment.

According to the report, Iran is the world’s second-highest executioner after China.

Series of executions

The latest execution follows several similar cases in recent months. Earlier this week, Iran hanged an aerospace engineering student who had been convicted of spying for both Israel and the United States.

Days earlier, Iranian authorities executed two men accused of working with Mossad and planning attacks inside the country. The two individuals, identified as Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian, were also accused of links to the banned opposition group People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK).

In March, Iran executed three people convicted of killing police officers during anti-government protests. Around the same time, authorities also carried out the execution of Kouroush Keyvani, an Iranian-Swedish dual national accused of spying for Israel. That execution drew criticism from several European officials and human rights groups.

Security crackdown expands

Iran has also intensified action against militant groups operating within the country.

On Sunday, authorities executed Amer Ramesh, a man accused of being a member of the Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl. Iranian officials said that he had participated in bombings and ambushes targeting security forces in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

The region has long witnessed clashes between Iranian security forces and militant organisations. Tehran has accused Jaish al-Adl of carrying out cross-border attacks and attempting to destabilise the country.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has repeatedly warned that “traitors” and foreign-backed elements would face harsh consequences. State-backed media outlets have also issued warnings to members of the Iranian diaspora against criticising the government or supporting hostile activities.

The recent executions underline Iran’s continued use of capital punishment, particularly in cases related to espionage, political opposition and national security offences during a period of growing instability in the region.