Iran executes architecture student accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad

TEHRAN: Iran executed a man on Saturday on charges of spying for Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad. This brings the number of convicts Iran has executed on espionage charges since June this year to 10.

The executed man has been identified as Aghil Keshavarz, a 27-year-old architecture student. Keshavarz was arrested by soldiers earlier this year in the northwestern city of Urmia, reportedly while taking photographs of a military headquarters.

According to investigative authorities, the accused confessed to taking these photographs for Israel, for which he had received money from Mossad. Iran’s Supreme Court was informed that Keshavarz carried out more than 200 missions for Israeli intelligence in various cities, including Tehran, Isfahan, Urmia and Shahroud. For these missions, Keshavarz was paid in cryptocurrency after completing each assignment, according to authorities.

The alleged assignments included taking photographs of sensitive locations, conducting public opinion surveys, and monitoring traffic in specific areas. Encrypted messages between Keshavarz and the Israeli military and Mossad were also recovered.

The Iranian judiciary stated that Keshavarz had deliberately cooperated with Israeli institutions and intended to harm the Islamic Republic of Iran.

However, Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group said on X (formerly Twitter) that Keshavarz was sentenced to death on charges related to espionage for Israel “based on confessions extracted under torture”.

The execution comes amid an ongoing crackdown by the Iranian government against infiltrators and spies within the country. Iran and Israel have been entangled in a decades-long shadow war, with the conflict escalating significantly in June when Israel struck various targets inside Iran. These attacks targeted Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and nuclear scientists, and included operations that relied on Mossad commandos being deployed deep inside the country.

Following these attacks, Iran launched the ongoing crackdown operation. During this crackdown, dozens of people have been sentenced to death or life imprisonment, including the 10 who have been executed.