'Cooperation favouring Zionist regime': Iran executes three men for spying for Israel; accused of smuggling assassination equipment

Iran on Wednesday executed three men convicted of spying for Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, and smuggling equipment used in an assassination, according to the judiciary’s Mizan news agency.

The individuals, Idris Ali, Azad Shojai, and Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul, were executed in Urmia, a city in north-western Iran near the Turkish border.

The smuggled equipment was used in the killing of an unnamed target, but no further details were provided, reported Reuters quoting Mizan.

The judiciary said the men had attempted to import items into Iran “to carry out assassinations” and were found guilty of “cooperation favouring the Zionist regime ," said the country’s judiciary.

These executions come shortly after a truce was declared between Iran and Israel following hostilities that erupted on June 13. Since then, Iranian authorities have intensified arrests and prosecutions of individuals accused of spying for Israel.

On Monday, Iranian authorities executed another man, Mohammad-Amin Mahdavi Shayesteh, for alleged intelligence cooperation with Israel . Several arrests of suspected Mossad agents have been announced by Iranian officials since the latest hostilities began.

Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, said earlier that cases involving collaboration with Israel would be handled more swiftly. He called such acts “support for the usurping regime” and described collaborators as a “fifth column” of the enemy.

Iran remains one of the world’s leading users of the death penalty, second only to China, according to human rights organisations, including Amnesty international.