Iran executes ‘high-ranking spy’ for Israel’s Mossad

TEHRAN, Iran

An Iranian national convicted of espionage and collaboration with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency was executed on Wednesday, local media said.

The individual, identified as Mohsen Langarneshin, was hanged in the morning “after judicial review of the case,” reported Mizan News, affiliated with Iran’s judiciary.

The broadcaster described Langarneshin as a “high-ranking Mossad spy,” who was recruited by the Israeli intelligence service in September 2020 and began working for it in December of the same year.

He was accused of carrying out “terrorist operations,” including the killing of Revolutionary Guard officer Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, who was shot dead by motorcycle-borne gunmen outside his home in Tehran in May 2022.

Langarneshin was also implicated in an attack on an industrial facility affiliated with the Defense Ministry in Isfahan, and the procurement of “communication equipment to establish secure channels for Mossad agents operating in Iran,” it said.

He was further accused of “purchasing and equipping vehicles for operational use,” “transferring funds from Mossad officers to agents inside Iran,” and “renting safe houses across multiple provinces.”

According to the media report, Langarneshin met with senior Mossad officers on two occasions in Georgia and Nepal and received financial compensation for his activities.

Iranian security and intelligence services have repeatedly reported the arrest of individuals suspected of espionage for Israel in recent years.

In January 2024, four individuals accused of working for Mossad were executed, two years after being arrested in connection with a bombing in Isfahan province.

Just weeks before that, another four alleged members of a Mossad-linked sabotage cell were also executed for “extensive actions against the country’s security.”

In December 2023, a person convicted of spying for Mossad was executed in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province.

The latest execution comes amid indirect nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US, mediated by Oman. The fourth round is scheduled to take place in Rome on Saturday.

Meanwhile, tensions between Iran and Israel remain high, with reports suggesting that Tel Aviv is considering a “limited strike” on Iranian nuclear facilities.