Photo: illustrated
On Wednesday, 30 April, Iran executed its citizen Mohsen Langarneshin, who was found guilty of espionage and cooperation with the Israeli Mossad intelligence service. This was reported by Iranian state media against the backdrop of important talks between Washington and Tehran on the renewal of the nuclear deal.
According to Reuters, in recent years, Iran has repeatedly exposed and executed people accused of collaborating with the Mossad in the framework of a long-running shadow war with Israel. Such accusations often relate to participation in assassinations, acts of sabotage and subversion against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme.
According to the Mizan judicial agency, Langarneshin was found to be involved in a number of cases, including the murder of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Colonel Sayyad Khodai in 2022. Iranian media claim that the defendant “supported terrorist operations for two years of cooperation with Israeli intelligence” and was present at the scene of the IRGC officer’s murder.
In addition, Langarneshin was accused of coordinating a strike on an industrial facility in Isfahan associated with the Iranian Ministry of Defence. State media reported that the convict pleaded guilty.
Reuters was unable to obtain independent confirmation or comment from Iranian officials.
Iran’s move coincided with a new round of tension over the country’s nuclear programme. Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused Israel of trying to disrupt talks with the United States. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not accept any compromises and insisted on the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, rather than limiting it.
