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. Vadi was executed on Wednesday and had worked in one of Iran’s “important and sensitive organisations,” Mizan said.
The execution of Vadi is part of a larger trend of increased executions of Iranians convicted of spying for Israel. At least eight death sentences have been 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 pledged swift trials for people arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.
According to Mizan, 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 officers five times in Vienna, Austria. Authorities said Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the sentences of lower courts and followed full legal procedures before executing Vadi.
In a separate case, Iran hanged a member of the ISIL (ISIS) group on Wednesday after he was accused of plotting sabotage. Mehdi Asgharzadeh was accused 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 Iranian authorities said the Supreme Court also upheld Asgharzadeh’s sentence.
These executions highlight the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel, with both countries engaging in a shadow war of espionage and sabotage. The Iranian judiciary has been swift in its response to perceived acts of espionage, and the executions are likely to further strain relations between Tehran and Tel Aviv.