Iran executes convicted Mossad agent who was set to flee to UK
Iran executes convicted Mossad agent who was set to flee to UK
TEHRAN – Iran has executed a key Mossad operative convicted of espionage, marking the latest action in its decisive security campaign against foreign spy networks operating within its borders.
In a statement, the judiciary confirmed the execution at dawn on Wednesday of Ali Ardestani, following his conviction for grave crimes of espionage and direct collaboration with Israel's Mossad spy agency.
Judicial records establish that Ardestani was recruited online by Mossad operatives, who exploited his vulnerabilities through financial enticements, and reassured him that he would not get caught. Once recruited, he actively carried out a series of assignments against his nation. Explicit court evidence and the defendant’s own detailed confessions reveal he acted on direct orders from Mossad officers to systematically photograph sensitive locations and gather intelligence on targeted individuals for Israel.
Ardestani maintained persistent virtual contact with his handlers and also engaged with their network inside Iran. His operations followed a meticulous protocol: after completing each mission—which included transferring information, photos, and videos to a Mossad contact within the country—he received instructions for new tasks and was compensated via cryptocurrency. He was arrested while engaged in one such operation for the Israeli regime. Ardestani admitted to investigators that his decision to betray Iran was driven by the promise of a multi-million-dollar reward and the prospect of eventual relocation to the United Kingdom, where he would spend the rest of his life beyond the reach of prosecution.
His initial sentence was reviewed and firmly upheld by the Supreme Court.
The execution of Ardestani is part of a broader response to heightened espionage threats following the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran that lasted for 12 days in June. Since that conflict began, Iranian authorities have identified and neutralized multiple intelligence threats to preserve national stability.
In December, Iran executed Aghil Keshavarz, who had photographed military sites for Israel. Some of the sites he photographed were targeted during the summer conflict.
Months earlier, another individual was executed for providing the information that led to Israel’s assassination of one of his colleagues, an Iranian nuclear scientist, alongside more than 20 of the scientist’s family members.
Iranians typically learn about the prosecution of Mossad agents only when the convicted individuals have committed grave crimes against national security. Soon after the war ended, parliament began to rectify espionage-related charges that analysts described as too broad and vague. In October 2025, President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the "Law on Intensifying Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime and Hostile Countries." Now being enacted, this new law closes the legal loopholes that previously allowed espionage to be prosecuted under lesser charges. It ensures punishments match the severity of the crimes.
source: tehrantimes.com