Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel

Iran has executed a man accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, the country’s judiciary reported on Wednesday, 7 January, amid an intensifying campaign against alleged foreign agents.

The judiciary’s official media outlet, Mizan, named the executed defendant as Ali Ardestani, saying his death sentence was carried out after confirmation by the Supreme Court and through “legal procedures”.

Ardestani was convicted of providing sensitive information to Mossad, including imagery and details of specific locations, according to official judicial documents cited by state media.

Officials allege Ardestani was recruited online and carried out assignments for Mossad in exchange for payments, handing over information and imagery of targeted sites and individuals. The judiciary said he acknowledged direct contact with Mossad officers during his trial.

Iran and Israel have been entrenched in a decades‑long shadow war, and Tehran has repeatedly executed individuals it accuses of collaborating with Israeli intelligence.

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Executions of Iranians accused of spying for Israel appear to have increased this year amid heightened tensions with Tel Aviv, according to reporting by Mehr News Agency and the Jerusalem Post.

Analysts cited by Iran Human Rights note that at least ten individuals alleged to have links with Mossad were executed in 2025, following Israeli and U.S. operations targeting Iranian facilities in June.

Human rights groups have also suggested that Iran’s judicial system often relies on confessions extracted under duress in espionage cases. Iranian authorities reject these claims.

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