Iran executes four including woman over allegations of spying for Israel's Mossad

In a recent development, Iran carried out execution of four individuals accused of spying for Israel’s Mossad, as reported by local media. The group, which included a woman, was hanged after being found guilty of kidnapping Iranian security forces with the intent to extract intelligence. The Mizan news agency, affiliated with Iran’s judiciary, revealed that the convicted individuals were also charged with setting fire to vehicles and apartments belonging to Iranian intelligence agents. The executed individuals were identified as Vafa Hanareh, Aram Omari, Rahman Parhazo, and Nasim Namazi. According to Mizan, they were members of a sabotage group linked to the Israeli government, accused of engaging in activities against the country’s security under the guidance of Mossad, Israel’s spy agency. The charges leading to their death sentences included “moharebeh,” meaning waging war against God, and “corruption on Earth.” The Mizan report highlighted that the group had undergone surveillance by Iranian intelligence for about four months, starting in January 2022, until their arrest in May of the same year. A video released by the official IRNA news agency featured confessions from the individuals, revealing their alleged cooperation with a Mossad officer in Turkey known by the names Tony and Arash. This execution follows the hanging of another accused Mossad agent in December in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan. The Mizan report did not provide detailed information on several others connected to the group who received decade-long jail sentences. Iran and Israel, longstanding rivals, have frequently accused each other of espionage and engaged in a shadow war. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres previously expressed concern about Iran’s high rate of executions, with at least 419 people executed in the first seven months of the year. Amnesty International and other rights groups note that Iran has one of the highest execution rates globally, second only to China.