Iran Executes Alleged Spy for Mossad as Crackdown Intensifies

Iran announced Wednesday that it had executed Ali Ardestani, an Iranian citizen convicted of spying for Israel, in a case officials say involved the transfer of sensitive information to the Mossad. The execution was reported by Iran’s state meadia and comes during a period of heightened pressure on the regime, both domestically and internationally.

According to the state-run IRNA news agency, Ardestani was recruited online by Israel’s intelligence services and carried out assignments in exchange for money. Iranian authorities said he transferred video footage and still images of what they described as “special locations” inside Iran, and received payment in cryptocurrency. State media claimed Ardestani confessed to the charges and hoped to receive millions of dollars as well as a visa to Britain.

Iranian officials said the case was handled by the country’s judiciary and concluded with a death sentence that was carried out Wednesday morning. No further details were provided regarding the location of the execution or the length of the legal proceedings. As with many similar cases, independent verification of the allegations has not been possible.

Since the end of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, Tehran has executed at least 12 people on charges of espionage, according to international reporting. Iranian authorities have repeatedly accused Israel of running extensive intelligence networks inside the country and have framed recent executions as a warning to others accused of cooperating with foreign adversaries.

Human rights activists and monitoring groups dispute Iran’s portrayal of such cases. They say many defendants accused of espionage are tried in closed courts, denied access to independent legal counsel, and convicted based on confessions that may have been obtained under pressure. Iranian officials reject those claims and insist the judiciary operates according to the law.

The execution was announced as Iran continues to face widespread internal unrest. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), protests have taken place at roughly 250 locations across 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces. HRANA reports that at least 36 people have been killed so far, including four children, and more than 1,200 protesters have been arrested. Activists describe the demonstrations as the largest since 2022.

Reports from inside Iran indicate a heavy-handed security response. Activist groups have circulated footage that they say shows security forces entering a hospital in the western city of Ilam while pursuing protesters. 

Senior Iranian officials have also used the moment to issue warnings abroad. Iranian army commander Amir Hatami said Wednesday that Tehran views recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a threat. “The Islamic Republic of Iran views this escalation in the enemy’s rhetoric against the Iranian nation as a threat, and we will not tolerate it continuing without a response,” Hatami said, according to state media. He added that if “the enemy makes a mistake,” Iran would respond with force greater than what it used during the June fighting.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry responded earlier this week by calling those statements “incitement to violence” and accusing Israel of attempting to undermine Iran’s national unity.