Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spy Amid Surge of Executions

Dubai, Sep 29 (AP) Iran announced on Monday that it had executed a man accused of spying for Israel, amid one of the most significant waves of executions seen in the country in recent decades.

The executed individual was identified as Bahman Choobiasl, though his case had not been widely reported in Iranian media nor was it familiar to activists keeping track of the death penalty within the Islamic Republic.

This execution comes in the wake of Iran's pledge to tackle perceived adversaries, following the United Nations' decision to reimpose sanctions over Iran's nuclear program, over the weekend.

According to Iran, Choobiasl had allegedly engaged with officials from Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency. The judiciary's official platform, the Mizan news agency, reported that Choobiasl had been involved in "sensitive telecommunications projects" and had provided information on the "routes for importing electronic devices." Since the June conflict with Israel, Iran has reportedly executed nine individuals on charges of espionage.

The air conflict initiated by Israel resulted in the death of approximately 1,100 individuals, including several military commanders. In retaliation, Iran launched missile strikes targeting Israel.

Earlier in the month, Iran executed another individual, Babak Shahbazi, who was accused of espionage on behalf of Israel. However, activists claim Shahbazi was coerced into a false confession following his attempt to assist Ukraine by writing to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The country has seen considerable internal unrest, with protests arising from economic grievances, demands for women's rights, and challenges to the nation's theocratic governance.

In reaction to these protests and the aforementioned June conflict, Iran is carrying out executions at a rate not witnessed since 1988, when mass executions ended the Iran-Iraq war. The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group and the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran estimate that over 1,000 people have been executed in 2025. They caution that the true number may be higher, as Iran does not disclose every execution. (AP)

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