Iran Executes Two Convicted of Spying for Israeli Intelligence Amid Rising Internal Repression

Iranian authorities executed two political prisoners, Omid Behzad and Pouria Sepavat, on Monday morning after convicting them of espionage and intelligence collaboration with Israel's Mossad during recent hostilities. The Tehran Supreme Court approved their death sentences days earlier, which were carried out by hanging without delay, according to the official judiciary news agency Mizan.

The two were arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' intelligence unit and accused of transmitting sensitive military and security site images and information to Israeli intelligence officers and media channels linked to Israel. Iranian judicial reports claim Behzad maintained direct contact with a Telegram channel manager affiliated with Israel and openly supported U.S. and Israeli military and intelligence activities against Iran. Sepavat allegedly documented Iranian air defense systems and security facilities from rooftops, sending encrypted footage to Israeli intelligence networks. Mizan further alleged, without public evidence, that some targeted sites were later attacked.

Iranian courts based their verdicts on what they described as explicit confessions, technical evidence, and reconstructed communications from the defendants' social media accounts. However, international human rights organizations and Iranian activists have condemned the executions amid a sharp rise in death penalties in Iran. They highlight the regime's frequent use of coerced confessions obtained through torture, threats to families, and harsh solitary confinement, often denying fair legal representation.

This execution is part of a broader escalation in Iran's crackdown over recent months, involving numerous arrests and harsh sentences for charges including espionage, participation in anti-government protests, and opposition group membership. Analysts suggest the regime is exploiting regional security tensions and fears of wider military conflict to intensify internal repression, aiming to deter public dissent amid worsening economic and political crises.