Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel

Iranian judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reported that Rouzbeh Vadi relayed classified information to Israel’s intelligence service, the Mossad.

Iran has executed a man accused of spying for Israel, state media reported.

Rouzbeh Vadi allegedly passed on information about a nuclear scientist killed in Israel’s June attacks on the Islamic Republic, the Iranian judiciary’s news outlet Mizan reported.

He was executed on Wednesday and had worked in one of Iran’s “important and sensitive organisations”, Mizan said.

Executions of Iranians convicted of spying for Israel have significantly increased this year, with at least eight death sentences carried out in recent months.

Israel’s attacks in June involved 12 days of air attacks, including several that targeted Iran’s top generals and nuclear scientists, for which Iran retaliated with barrages of missiles and drones. Iran has since the war pledged swift trials for people arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.

Mizan reported that Vadi had “committed a wide range of crimes against the country’s internal and external security, which have caused severe disruption to public order”.

Vadi was allegedly recruited online and met Mossad – the Israeli intelligence service – officers five times in Vienna, Austria.

Officials accused Mehdi Asgharzadeh of being a member of the group who participated in military training in Syria and Iraq before illegally entering Iran with a four-member team, who were killed in a fight with Iranian security, the news site reported.

Authorities said Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the sentences of lower courts and followed full legal procedures before executing both men, Mizan reported.