Iran on Wednesday executed three men accused of spying for Israel, just one day after a temporary ceasefire between Iran and Israel began. The Iranian judiciary named the men Idris Ali, Azad Shojai, and Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul. Officials said they were arrested for trying to bring equipment into Iran to carry out assassinations for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. The judiciary claimed the men were working "in favour of the Zionist regime," a term used by Iran to refer to Israel.

The three men were hanged in Urmia, a city in northwestern Iran near the border with Turkey. Photos shared by the judiciary showed them wearing blue prison uniforms. Iran has a long history of arresting and executing people accused of spying for foreign countries, especially Israel and the United States. After the Iran-Israel war began on June 13, Iranian officials promised fast trials and strong punishment for those accused of spying or helping enemy nations.

This week, Iran also executed two other men on Sunday and Monday, saying they were Mossad agents involved in anti-state activities. Iran is one of the world’s top executioners. According to Amnesty International and other human rights groups, Iran carries out the second-highest number of executions in the world after China. Many of these are for national security crimes, drug charges, and political offences.

Similar cases in Iran

In past years, Iran has executed several people linked to Mossad. For example, in 2020, Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd was hanged for allegedly giving information about Iranian military leaders to U.S. and Israeli intelligence. In 2022, four men were executed for spying and planning attacks on Israel. Human rights groups continue to raise concerns about Iran’s justice system, citing unfair trials, lack of transparency, and the use of the death penalty for political purposes.