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Iran executed a man it described as "one of the most important spies for Israel in Iran" on Monday, marking the latest in a surge of espionage-related executions that have claimed at least 10 lives in recent months as the shadow war between the two nations intensifies.
Bahman Choubi-asl was put to death after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal and confirmed his death sentence on charges of "corruption on earth," according to the judiciary's news outlet Mizan and media reports.
"The main goal of Mossad in attracting the defendant's cooperation was to obtain the database of governmental institutions and create a breach in Iranian data centers, along with which it also pursued other secondary goals, including investigating the route of importing electronic equipment," Mizan stated.
The execution was followed by another death sentence carried out against Babak Shahbazi, an Iranian contractor who worked with telecommunications, military, and security institutions.
"Babak Shahbazi, convicted of espionage and security cooperation with the Israeli regime, was executed today after legal proceedings and Supreme Court approval confirmed his role in intelligence exchanges with Mossad-linked operatives," state news agency IRNA reported.
Shahbazi, who designed and installed industrial cooling systems for sensitive facilities, allegedly attempted to sell critical information about senior Iranian officials to a Mossad agent identified as Esmaeil Fikri. Fikri himself was executed in June 2025 for spying for Israel.
Authorities accused Shahbazi of holding encrypted online meetings with Israeli operatives, receiving Mossad training, and attempting to collect sensitive information about senior officials and strategic facilities.
The executions come as details emerge about the extent of Israeli intelligence operations inside Iran. Israeli media outlets reported that Mossad deployed more than 100 non-Israeli foreign agents into Iran before launching attacks in June.
These agents, trained in advanced missile systems, were tasked with destroying Iranian air defense systems and ballistic missile ramps using smuggled weapons during operations that began June 13 and lasted 12 days, according to the report.
Mossad released images on June 13 purportedly showing its members targeting Iranian military installations, a rare public acknowledgment of covert operations.
The Iran-Israel conflict escalated into direct confrontation in June when Israel struck various targets inside Iran, including operations that relied on Mossad commandos deployed deep inside the country.
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Executions of Iranians convicted of spying for Israel have dramatically increased this year. On Aug. 9, Iran's judiciary announced it had opened investigations into 20 people arrested for alleged links with Israel.
Both nations have announced on several occasions in recent years the dismantling of spy networks as their decadeslong shadow war continues to claim lives on both sides.
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