Three individuals accused of working for Israel’s Mossad were executed in Iran on Wednesday morning.
According to Iranian authorities, Edris Aali, Azad Shojaei, and Rasoul Ahmad were convicted of importing equipment intended for the assassination of Iranian officials. The men were arrested, tried, and sentenced following what officials described as a full criminal legal process.
The executions were carried out in the city of Urmia, with Iranian state media framing the action as retribution for espionage and subversion on behalf of a foreign power.
Following the 12-day war with Israel, Iranian authorities have detained approximately 700 individuals, accusing them of assisting Mossad and Israeli military operations. The crackdown spans alleged intelligence gathering, espionage, and the smuggling of drone parts and explosives.
Iran’s detaining of 700 suspected collaborators reveals heightened internal security measures amid wartime tensions. Authorities are claiming these steps are needed to thwart espionage, but the scale and tactics may inflame domestic repression.
According to Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, the bulk of the 700 recent detentions took place across five provinces: Kermanshah, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Fars, and Lorestan. The detainees are accused of a range of actions allegedly intended to aid Israeli intelligence, including launching small drones at Iranian military or nuclear sites, constructing homemade explosives, and covertly filming sensitive installations for the purpose of passing the footage to Israeli operatives.
Fars also claimed that since June 13, law enforcement authorities in Tehran alone have seized over 10,000 small drones. The assertion has drawn skepticism, as Iranian officials have so far publicly displayed only three downed drones, casting doubt on the scale of the alleged threat.
The mass arrests come amid a broader post-conflict crackdown and heightened paranoia within Iran’s security establishment following the latest round of hostilities with Israel. Human rights groups have warned that the sweeping nature of the campaign risks targeting innocent civilians under the pretext of national security.
This massive sweep is part of a broader response to Iran’s recent humiliation by Israel. Tehran portrays the detentions as necessary defensive measures amid ongoing regional conflict. However, human rights advocates warn of potential abuses and the blurring of lines between genuine security and suppression of dissent.
Iran’s repressive paramilitary Basij forces has joined police at road checkpoints nationwide to locate suspected operatives.
The mass detentions underscore Tehran’s deepening concern over infiltration and espionage. While the regime seeks to project control, the deployment of Basij forces recalls past crackdowns on dissenters—raising concerns about civil liberties. The arrests coincide with moves by Iran’s parliament to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, signaling a shift toward further isolation.
