For years, the Republic of China has topped global execution statistics. Iran ranks second, imposing the death penalty for a wide range of offenses including murder, rape, homosexuality, child sexual abuse, drug trafficking, armed robbery, terrorism, adultery, prostitution—and most notably, espionage and intelligence collaboration with foreign countries.
In recent years, some of Iran’s more brutal execution methods, such as stoning women and men (primarily for adultery), have been largely abandoned. The use of firing squads has also diminished. The current, more common method is public hanging within prison yards, where condemned prisoners are hooded and hanged from a pole. Other inmates are often forced to witness the execution, with only rare exceptions spared from seeing the event.
One case that stands out even within Iran’s harsh system is that of nuclear engineer Rouzbeh Vadi, who was executed last Wednesday following a conviction for spying on behalf of Israel.
Vadi’s execution was carried out in secrecy at 4 a.m. with no witnesses. His family was not informed in advance, denied the customary farewell ceremony, and did not receive his body for burial. Instead, state television broadcast an interview with Vadi, recorded shortly before his execution, in which he calmly detailed his alleged espionage activities.
According to the televised confession, Vadi, 40, was recruited online by a Mossad agent identifying himself as “Alex.” After providing personal details and undergoing covert correspondence and suitability tests, Vadi was summoned to Austria for meetings with his handler, “Kevin.” Vadi reportedly made five trips to Austria, where he was pressured to pass along intelligence on Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow and Natanz. He also admitted to aiding the assassination of a senior Iranian nuclear scientist by Mossad.
Vadi explained that he regularly sent encrypted intelligence reports to “Kevin” in exchange for monthly digital currency payments and promises to secure passports for him and his family to relocate to a friendly country. Despite this, his handler was reportedly dissatisfied with the intelligence and extended Vadi’s assignment.
Iran publicized the case in part to send a warning to its citizens—especially those in sensitive or classified positions—that “even if Mossad can do everything, we can do more.”
Smadar PerryThe trial, conducted without legal representation, swiftly ended with Vadi’s conviction and execution. Israel has so far declined to comment.
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Iran’s judiciary recently announced the arrest of 20 suspected Mossad operatives, signaling no leniency and vowing to make examples of them. Executions of those convicted of spying for Israel have increased markedly this year.
This harsh crackdown comes amid heightened tensions following Israel’s 12-day airstrike campaign in June targeting Iranian generals, nuclear scientists, and nuclear facilities, which prompted missile and drone retaliation from Iran.
While Vadi’s confession is difficult to verify independently, analysts suggest it may have been coerced, with Vadi possibly cooperating to spare his family from harsher treatment.