Iranian state news agency IRNA says authorities have executed four people accused of working for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency
State news: Iran executes 4 people it says spied on for Israel The Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian authorities on Sunday executed four people accused of working for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, the state-run IRNA news agency said. Three others received lengthy prison sentences.
IRNA said the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard announced the arrest of a network of people linked to the Israeli agency. He said the members had criminal records and tried to disrupt the country’s security.
Israel and Iran are bitter regional enemies, and Iran occasionally announces the detention of people said to be spying for foreign countries, including the United States and Israel. Iran does not recognize Israel and supports armed anti-Israel groups across the region, such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
According to the report, members of the network have stolen and destroyed public and private property, kidnapped individuals and interrogated them. He said the alleged spies had weapons and received salaries from the Mossad in the form of cryptocurrency.
IRNA identified the executed prisoners as Hossein Ordoukhanzadeh, Shahin Imani Mahmoudabadi, Milad Ashrafi and Manouchehr Shahbandi. Three other members of the group received sentences ranging from five to 10 years in prison, according to the news agency, but have not been identified.
Iran and Israel have long accused each other of espionage. Israel sees Iran as its greatest threat and has repeatedly threatened to take military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies seeking such weapons and has promised a tough response to any Israeli aggression.
In January, Israel said it had dismantled an Iranian spy ring that recruited Israeli women via social media to photograph sensitive sites, gather intelligence and encourage their children to join Israeli military intelligence.
In July, Iran said it arrested members of a Mossad-linked armed group after they smuggled into Iran across its western border.
In 2020, Iran executed a man convicted of leaking information to the United States and Israel about a top Revolutionary Guard general who was later killed by a US drone strike in Iraq.
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