Iran executes man accused of spying on behalf of Israel’s Mossad

Judiciary says Ehsan Afrashteh, 32, confessed to being paid to carry out tasks for the intelligence agency; rights group says confession ‘fabricated’

Iran executed a man convicted of spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence service after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence, the judiciary’s Mizan news outlet reported on Wednesday.

According to the judiciary, Ehsan Afrashteh, 32, confessed to being recruited by Mossad and working on its behalf.

He received payments of 1,000 euros to carry out tasks such as “documenting target locations,” including Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, and “attending gatherings and taking pictures of various people,” the judiciary claimed.

He operated under the guise of a taxi driver, and was given training by Mossad in Nepal, Mizan said, adding that he was fluent in several languages, including English and Hebrew.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Afrashteh was arrested in 2024 after returning from a trip to Turkey, and sentenced to death in 2025.

The rights group claimed the death penalty was based on confessions that were fabricated or given under torture.

According to the opposition-affiliated Iran International, Afrashteh was a native of Isfahan and held a master’s degree in civil engineering.

He was held in solitary confinement for months while in detention, the outlet reported.

Iran is the world’s second-most prolific executioner, after China, according to rights groups.

The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights says the Islamic Republic executed at least 1,500 people last year, one of the highest numbers worldwide.

Israel and the US launched a war against the Iranian regime at the end of February, with a shaky ceasefire in place since April 8.

Since the start of the conflict, Iran has ramped up executions, particularly in cases involving alleged espionage or security-related charges.

Last week, Tehran executed three men convicted of involvement in anti-government protests that rocked the country in December and January.