Iran hangs man convicted of spying for Israel amid air war

An anti-Israel poster, which reads in Persian “look for shelters among the debris”, hangs on the side of building in Tehran on June 14, 2025. Agence France-Presse

TEHRAN — Iran’s judiciary said Monday it hanged a man arrested in 2023 and convicted of being a spy for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, as fighting raged between the two foes.

“Esmaeil Fekri, a Mossad agent convicted of the capital offences of ‘corruption on Earth’ and ‘moharebeh’ (waging war against God) was hanged after going through the full process of criminal procedure,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online news website said.

Mizan said the execution was carried out after all legal procedures were completed and the verdict was upheld by the supreme court.

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On Sunday, Iranian media reported that police in Alborz province, west of Tehran, had arrested two people suspected of links to Mossad.

Later on the same day, Israel said it had arrested two citizens suspected of working for Iran’s intelligence services.

After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel on Friday launched a surprise attack it says is targeting Iran’s nuclear and military facilities.

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So far it has killed at least 224 people in the Islamic republic, including top military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.

Iran has retaliated with barrages of drone and missiles that have killed at least 24 people in Israel, according to the latest figures from the prime minister’s office.

Iran does not recognize Israel and has long accused it of carrying out sabotage operations against its nuclear facilities, as well as assassinating its scientists. /dl