Iran Executes Man Accused Of Spying For CIA, Mossad

Iran executed a 29-year-old aerospace engineering graduate on Monday on charges of passing classified satellite information to U.S. and Israeli intelligence, state media reported.

Erfan Shakourzadeh was hanged after conviction for cooperating with the CIA and Israel’s Mossad, the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency said. He was recruited into a scientific organization involved in the satellite sector due to his expertise, it added.

Authorities alleged that Shakourzadeh contacted individuals linked to Mossad and the CIA via email, LinkedIn and WhatsApp, sharing details of his workplace and projects in exchange for cryptocurrency payments. Tasnim news agency reported the contacts occurred in three stages.

Shakourzadeh graduated top of his class from a master’s programme in Aerospace Engineering and Satellite Technology at the Iran University of Science and Technology and was regarded as one of the country’s promising talents in the field.

In a written statement before his execution, he denied the charges and said his confession was extracted under duress.

The Iran Human Rights Society said he was arrested in 2025, held in solitary confinement, and urged authorities not to carry out the execution, the judiciary released no details on his trial or legal representation.

Iran is among the countries with the highest number of executions globally, right groups recorded at least 1,500 executions in the country last year, while the United Nations says more than 20 people have been executed so far this year.