In the early hours of October 18, 2025, Iran executed an individual convicted of spying for Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, marking the latest in a string of capital punishments following a year of heightened tensions and clandestine conflict between the two nations. The execution took place in the city of Qom, a significant religious center located about 120 kilometers south of Tehran, as reported by multiple outlets including Reuters, Associated Press, and Iran’s official judiciary news agency, Mizan.
The identity of the executed person has not been disclosed by Iranian authorities, a detail that has become increasingly common in such cases. According to Mizan, the individual began cooperating with Mossad in October 2023 and was arrested four months later, in February 2024. The charges against the individual were severe: “intelligence cooperation with the Zionist regime,” “corruption on Earth,” and “enmity against God”—all crimes that, under Iran’s Islamic penal code, are punishable by death.
Judicial officials stated that the suspect held several meetings with a Mossad officer, engaging in intelligence cooperation, and transmitted confidential information online to Israel. The judiciary’s statement, as cited by Shafaq News and The Times of Israel, underscored the seriousness of the espionage, alleging that the individual carried out missions inside Iran on behalf of Israeli intelligence.
After the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence and a pardon request was denied, the execution was carried out at Qom Prison. Kazem Mousavi, chief justice of Qom province, was quoted by Mizan Online as saying, “The execution of this spy… was carried out after confirmation by the Supreme Court and the rejection of his pardon request at Qom Prison.”
This execution is not an isolated incident. Since the so-called “12-day war” in June 2025 between Iran and Israel—a conflict marked by Israeli airstrikes that killed approximately 1,100 people, including senior Iranian military commanders, and subsequent Iranian missile attacks on Israeli territory—Iran has intensified its crackdown on individuals accused of espionage or collaboration with Israel. According to Shafaq News, at least ten people alleged to have spied for Mossad have been executed since the conflict. Other outlets, such as Reuters and Associated Press, report at least nine such executions, highlighting the difficulty in verifying the precise number due to the opaque nature of Iran’s judicial proceedings.
Earlier this month, on October 4, six individuals were executed in Khuzestan Province for their alleged involvement in bombings and armed attacks, which authorities claimed were carried out in direct connection with Mossad. Just days before the most recent execution, Bahman Choobiasl was hanged in Arak Prison after being convicted of spying for Israel, including collecting and sharing sensitive information with Israeli handlers.
Iranian authorities consistently justify these executions as vital for national security. They argue that agents of hostile intelligence services, particularly those affiliated with Israel, are responsible for acts of terrorism and sabotage within the country. The government has accused Israel of orchestrating a series of covert attacks in recent years, including the assassinations of nuclear scientists and cyber sabotage of strategic facilities. As reported by Reuters, Iran’s judiciary maintains that such executions are necessary responses to Israel’s “infiltration and sabotage operations.”
Yet, the international community has not remained silent. Human rights organizations and Western governments have condemned Iran’s growing use of capital punishment, particularly for political and espionage-related offenses. Groups like Iran Human Rights, based in Oslo, and the Abdorrahman Boroumand Centre in Washington, DC, estimate that more than 1,000 people have been executed in Iran so far in 2025 alone, cautioning that the real figure may be even higher due to the lack of transparency surrounding many cases. Activists argue that convictions for espionage often rely on coerced confessions and that trials are typically held behind closed doors, without access to independent legal representation.
“Such executions, especially following closed trials and allegations of coerced confessions, are deeply concerning and undermine the basic principles of justice,” said a spokesperson for Iran Human Rights, as reported by Shafaq News. Western governments have echoed these concerns, calling for Iran to halt the use of the death penalty for political prisoners and to ensure fair trials and due process.
The recent executions come amid a broader context of escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel. The shadow war between the two countries has played out both on the battlefield and in the realm of intelligence and covert operations. Iran has accused Israel of conducting sabotage missions and assassinations on Iranian soil, while Israel rarely comments on such claims but has long regarded Iran’s nuclear and military ambitions as existential threats.
The city of Qom, where the latest execution occurred, is not only a religious hub but also a symbolic location for the Iranian state. The decision to carry out the sentence there, after confirmation by the Supreme Court and the denial of a pardon, sends a strong message about the government’s resolve to combat what it sees as foreign interference and espionage.
For many Iranians, however, the repeated executions and the secrecy surrounding them raise questions about the government’s motives and the fairness of its judicial processes. Human rights defenders warn that the current climate of fear and repression is likely to stifle dissent and discourage open discussion about the country’s security policies.
Despite the outcry from international observers, Iranian officials remain steadfast in their position. They insist that those executed were “agents of hostile intelligence services” and that their actions posed a direct threat to national security. The judiciary, as cited by Mizan and other state-affiliated outlets, continues to frame these executions as necessary measures to defend the country against foreign plots and sabotage.
As the shadow war between Iran and Israel grinds on, the fate of those accused of espionage remains grim. With both sides on high alert and regional tensions simmering, the cycle of accusation, conviction, and execution shows little sign of abating. In the words of one Iranian official, “We will not allow our enemies to undermine our security from within.”
For now, the world watches as the stakes grow ever higher, and the human cost of this covert conflict continues to mount.
