Tehran ramps up death penalty amid ongoing war with Israel and US, executing at least 1,639 people in record-breaking year
Iran executed two men on Monday after convicting them of spying for Israel, the country’s judiciary announced — the latest in a mounting wave of executions linked to alleged espionage since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States in February.
The judiciary’s media outlet, Mizan, identified the men as Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat, stating they were hanged in the morning for “transmitting the coordinates of sensitive military and security sites to Mossad agents,” Israel’s foreign intelligence service.
“They helped the intelligence services achieve their objectives by providing them with information on military and security centres during the war,” Mizan added.
The judiciary did not specify when the pair were arrested or tried, but confirmed they were convicted of “espionage and collaboration with the Zionist regime.”
Iran has dramatically escalated executions since February 28, when massive US-Israeli strikes killed the country’s supreme leader, triggering the current conflict.
According to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based NGO, and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), headquartered in Paris, Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people last year — the highest annual figure since 1989 and a record that makes Iran the world’s second-most prolific executioner after China.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International condemned what it called the “escalation” in executions, following Iran’s recent hanging of two men convicted of participating in anti-government protests during the winter.
Rights groups continue to raise alarm over Tehran’s accelerating use of the death penalty, with political dissidents and alleged spies increasingly caught in the execution dragnet amid growing international isolation and ongoing conflict.
