Iran executes former official accused of collaborating with Mossad

Iran has executed a former official accused of collaborating with Israeli intelligence and leaking sensitive information, according to official and human rights sources.

The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan News Agency reported that the man, Mehdi Farid, was convicted of spying for the Israeli Mossad and abusing his position in a civil defence unit within a “sensitive organisation” to gather and transmit information.

The agency said the death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court and carried out after the completion of legal procedures.

According to the Norway-based human rights organisation Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights, Mehdi Farid had previously served as head of the administration department of the Defence Committee and was executed secretly at an undisclosed location on Wednesday morning.

The organisation said his arrest had not been publicly announced prior to the execution, adding that he was detained on June 1, 2024, initially sentenced to 10 years in prison, and later condemned to death by the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.

Iranian media reported that Mehdi Farid was accused of providing Mossad with sensitive data, including organizational structures, facility layouts, security details, and the identities of officials.

The execution is part of a series of recent executions in Iran involving individuals accused of links to Mossad. On Tuesday, Iranian authorities executed a man described as the leader of a network connected to the agency, while on Monday, two others were executed after being convicted of collaboration and planning attacks inside the country.