A day after a US-mediated ceasefire brought a brief pause to the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, Iran’s judiciary announced the execution of three individuals accused of spying for Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad.
According to the state-run Mizan news agency, the trio was convicted of collaborating with Mossad and smuggling equipment tied to an unspecified assassination. While the judiciary refrained from disclosing names or locations, the swift execution signals Tehran’s uncompromising stance on espionage.
Simultaneously, Iran’s Nournews agency reported that security forces have detained around 700 individuals for alleged links to Israel. These arrests were part of what officials described as a “decisive blow to foreign infiltration.”
The dramatic turn comes in the wake of a fragile ceasefire negotiated by the United States, halting nearly two weeks of intense cross-border exchanges between the two adversaries. The global community has voiced concern over Iran’s latest actions, fearing that such reprisals could jeopardise the already delicate truce.
While Iranian authorities defended the moves as necessary for national security, international human rights organisations have called for transparency and due process amid fears of politically motivated crackdowns.
This latest development is expected to further strain Middle East diplomacy and cast a long shadow over the prospects for long-term de-escalation in the region.
