Iran on Monday executed two men convicted of spying for Israel, in what appears to be the latest phase of Tehran’s widening crackdown on alleged espionage linked to the months-long conflict with Israel and the United States.
The Iranian judiciary identified the men as Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat, saying they were executed after being found guilty of passing the locations of sensitive military and security facilities to Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad.
According to Mizan, the judiciary’s official news outlet, the pair were convicted of espionage and collaborating with what Iran describes as the “Zionist regime.”
Authorities alleged that they supplied intelligence on military and security installations, enabling Israeli operatives to carry out operations during the ongoing conflict.
Iranian officials did not disclose when the two men were arrested or when their trial took place.
The executions come amid an intensified campaign by Tehran against suspected Israeli spies since the war with Israel and the United States erupted in February.
Iranian authorities have carried out a series of executions in recent months, with many of those sentenced accused of working with Israeli intelligence.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly expressed concern over the growing number of executions in Iran.
Amnesty International recently condemned what it described as an escalation in the use of the death penalty, following the execution of two men convicted over anti-government protests.
Iran remains one of the world’s leading users of capital punishment, second only to China, according to international rights groups.
Figures released by Norway-based Iran Human Rights and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) show that at least 1,639 people were executed in Iran last year, the highest annual figure recorded since 1989.
The latest executions underscore Tehran’s increasingly hardline approach as tensions with Israel continue to fuel security concerns within the country.
