Iranian authorities have carried out the execution of a man accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad, further heightening already strained relations between the two countries.
According to Mizan Online, the judiciary’s official news outlet, “Babak Shahbazi… was executed by hanging this morning following due legal process and the confirmation of his sentence by the Supreme Court.”
The report was released on Wednesday, September 17, confirming the latest in a string of espionage-related executions.
While the exact date of Shahbazi’s arrest was not disclosed, officials revealed he had been convicted of “corruption on earth” and “waging war against God,” both capital offences under Iranian law.
Authorities alleged that Shahbazi, who worked on designing and installing industrial cooling systems, exploited his access to companies tied to Iran’s military and telecommunications sectors to gather classified data.
Mizan claimed Shahbazi passed sensitive information to Mossad “in exchange for money and residency in a foreign country.”
Iran has intensified its response to suspected espionage since its war with Israel escalated in June.
Officials vowed harsher punishments for anyone accused of aiding its regional rival.
In August, another man, Roozbeh Vadi, an employee of a subsidiary of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, was executed after being convicted of sharing intelligence on nuclear scientists and facilities.
Furthermore, in July, Iran’s intelligence ministry announced the arrest of “20 spies, Mossad operational and support agents, and elements connected to the Israeli regime’s intelligence officers” across Tehran and several provinces.
Iran continues to face sharp criticism from international rights groups over its use of the death penalty.
Amnesty International ranks the country as the second-highest executioner in the world, after China.
However, Iranian officials insist the sentences are necessary to deter foreign infiltration and protect state secrets.
The execution of Shahbazi adds another layer to the long-standing shadow war between Iran and Israel.
While Israel has not commented on the case, it has previously been accused by Tehran of orchestrating assassinations of nuclear scientists and supporting covert sabotage operations.
