Tehran Executes Alleged Israeli Spy Amid Escalating Iran-Israel Shadow War

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics

The man was sentenced to death for allegedly providing Mossad with access to Iranian government databases and investigating electronic imports, the judiciary news outlet Mizan said.

Executions of accused Israeli spies in Iran have surged this year, particularly following June's aerial conflict

Iran executed a man named Bahman Choubi-asl on Monday, the judiciary's news outlet Mizan said, saying the defendant was "one of the most important spies for Israel in Iran".

According to Mizan, Choubi-asl's cooperation with Mossad aimed 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."

The Supreme Court rejected his appeal, confirming the death sentence on charges based on the Quranic transgression "corruption on earth."

Iranian statements regarding Choubi-asl emphasize cyber objectives and data collection, echoing Tehran's long-standing claims that Israeli intelligence seeks both human and technical access within the country.

Choubi-asl's execution comes amid a broader pattern of espionage prosecutions and counter-espionage between Tehran and Jerusalem. Iran has repeatedly executed individuals accused of working for Mossad, and detained dozens more suspected of passing intelligence to Israel, such as a reported roundup of 22 people.

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Iranian authorities executed Rouzbeh Vadi in August, accused of relaying information to Israel about an Iranian nuclear scientist killed during Israeli airstrikes in June. Vadi reportedly met Mossad officers five times in Vienna.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have uncovered an unprecedented wave of suspected Iranian spy networks operating on its soil since October 2023, arresting over 20 citizens in recent months – including soldiers, dual nationals, Iranian immigrants, and civilian couples.