Amid tension with Israel, Iran executes man who was ‘one of the most important spies’

Iran has carried out the execution of a man accused of being “one of the most important spies for Israel in Iran” in what marks the 10th such execution since the 12-day war in June involving Israel and the United States, according to the judiciary’s news outlet Mizan.

On Monday, Mizan reported that Bahman Choobiasl was hanged over meetings with officials from the Israeli spy agency Mossad. According to the report, Choobiasl had been involved in “sensitive telecommunications projects”.

“The main goal of Mossad in attracting the defendant’s cooperation was to obtain the database of governmental institutions and create a breach in Iranian data centres, along with which it also pursued other secondary goals, including investigating the route of importing electronic equipment,” Mizan reported.

Iran’s Supreme Court rejected Choobiasl’s appeal and confirmed his death sentence on charges of “corruption on earth”.

Choobiasl is the second person to be executed this month after Babak Shahbazi, who was also found guilty of spying for Israel. Activists have disputed this claim, saying Shahbazi was tortured into a false confession after writing to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offering to fight in Kyiv.

Caught in a long-standing covert conflict with Israel, and following a full-scale confrontation this June, Iran has executed a growing number of individuals accused of aiding Mossad’s activities. Since the June conflict, Iran has put to death ten people for espionage.

The June offensive saw Israel carry out twelve days of air attacks, including strikes on Iranian generals, nuclear scientists and civilian areas. Iran retaliated with missile and drone barrages, while the United States conducted extensive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on behalf of Israel. Amnesty International reported that Israeli actions killed at least 1,100 people.

Surge in executions follows June’s 12-day conflict with Israel

In the wake of the war and protests over economic hardship, women’s rights and calls for regime change, Iran has increased death sentences. The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights and the Washington DC-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Centre for Human Rights in Iran estimate that over 1,000 people have been executed in 2025, although actual numbers may be higher as Tehran does not publicly report all executions.

Meanwhile, Iranians face deepening economic pressure and the possibility of renewed war with Israel. For the first time in a decade, Iran is subject to United Nations sanctions again, after European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal invoked the “snapback” mechanism to reactivate them despite opposition from Russia and China. The sanctions were reinstated on Sunday.