Iranian authorities have executed a man accused of espionage for Israel, marking the second such execution in two days as hostilities between the two nations persist into their 11th day.
According to Iran’s judiciary, Mohammad-Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh was hanged on Monday after being found guilty of “intelligence cooperation with the Zionist regime”—Tehran’s term for Israel.
Shayesteh was accused of having links to Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, and of collaborating with Iran International, a Persian-language news outlet based in London that Iranian officials deem hostile and connected to Israeli interests.
The outlet gained heightened attention during Iran’s 2022 anti-government protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman detained over an alleged dress code violation.
Authorities in Tehran have long labeled the channel a “terrorist organisation,” and frequently associate it with Western and Israeli plots against the Islamic Republic.
READ ALSO: Fear of Assassination Looms as Iran’s Supreme Leader Names Three Successors, Excludes Son
The execution of Shayesteh follows the hanging of Majid Mosayebi on Sunday, who was also accused of espionage on behalf of Israel.
Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, appeared on state television Sunday, warning that all “security-related cases” involving ties to Israel would be handled with increased speed.
“These individuals act as the enemy’s fifth column,” Ejei said, adding that Iran would take tougher actions to protect its national security.
Iran has a long-standing record of arresting and executing people accused of espionage, especially those allegedly linked to Israel or the West.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have consistently criticised Iran’s heavy use of capital punishment. The country ranks second only to China in annual executions.
The executions come amid heightened regional tension and escalating confrontation between Iran and Israel. While both nations have refrained from direct large-scale war, tit-for-tat strikes, cyberattacks, and shadow conflicts have intensified in recent years.