Iran has executed a man convicted of spying for the United States and Israel, according to reports from state-linked media outlets on Monday.
The individual, identified by the judiciary’s Mizan news outlet and the Mehr News Agency as 29-year-old Erfan Shakourzadeh, was an aerospace engineering graduate, Middle East Eye reports. He had been employed by a scientific organisation involved in satellite-related activities and stood accused of transferring classified scientific data to foreign intelligence services.
According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, state forces alleged that Shakourzadeh was the party who first initiated contact with “enemy agents”. The prosecution claimed the defendant attempted to reach foreign intelligence services in three stages: the first and third involving Mossad, and the second involving the CIA.
The information shared was alleclassified material linked to his professional work in aerospace engineering.
However, the Iran Human Rights Society has contested the state’s narrative. The rights group stated that Shakourzadeh was arrested in 2025 and alleged that his confession was obtained through coercion.
This execution comes amid a broader reported crackdown on espionage and sabotage. On Sunday, the Iranian state news agency IRNA cited a statement from the Intelligence Ministry claiming that two armed cells associated with Mossad had been dismantled across six provinces. One operative was reportedly killed during an armed clash during these operations.
The ministry further detailed that one four-member cell was purportedly preparing for attacks in West Azerbaijan and several provinces in Tehran. A second cell was allegedly in the reconnaissance phase of a planned operation against Iranian military personnel in the Kerman and Alborz provinces at the time of their arrest.
Authorities reported the seizure of weapons and espionage equipment at a hideout used by the three detained members of the second cell.
While Tehran has frequently announced the arrest and execution of individuals accused of links to Israeli intelligence during their long-running shadow war, Israel generally maintains a policy of not commenting on such allegations.
