Iranian media reported Saturday that authorities executed another man convicted of spying for Israel, collaborating with an intelligence service and photographing military and security facilities. The Tasnim news agency said the alleged agent, 27-year-old Aghil Keshavarz, was executed after the Supreme Court approved his sentence following legal proceedings.
According to the report, Keshavarz was arrested in May by Iranian military officers after he was seen photographing a “security building” in the city of Urmia in northwestern Iran, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) from Tehran. The structure was described as the headquarters of the Urmia infantry division. Investigators also reported finding a “coded notebook” in the hotel where he stayed, containing the names and addresses of security institutions, as well as online correspondence with what authorities called the “Zionist regime.”
Iranian media referred to Keshavarz as a “Mossad spy,” claiming he had previously carried out activities for the Iranian opposition group MKO, which Tehran designates as a terrorist organization. According to the reports, case files show that Keshavarz knowingly cooperated with the Israeli military and the Mossad, made contact with them and carried out numerous missions at their direction.
Authorities alleged that Keshavarz carried out more than 200 similar surveillance missions across several Iranian cities, including Tehran. He was later tried, sentenced to death and had the verdict upheld by the Supreme Court.
According to the reports, Keshavarz studied archaeology. Iranian media said that during a patrol, army security officers spotted a young man photographing the headquarters of the Urmia infantry division. He was arrested due to the officers’ vigilance and transferred to the relevant authorities after coordination and a judicial warrant. Keshavarz initially claimed he had traveled to the city to attend an academic conference at Urmia University, but a review of his mobile phone allegedly revealed a message from a number linked to the “Zionist regime.”
Since the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, the Islamic Republic has executed 11 people convicted of espionage, according to Iranian reports. Closed-door espionage trials are common in Iran, where defendants are often denied access to evidence presented against them.
First published: 13:14, 12.20.25