Iran executes man convicted of espionage for Israeli Mossad
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Iran’s judiciary said Bahman Choubi-Asl, accused of aiding Mossad through access to sensitive telecom databases, held 63 covert meetings abroad before his arrest.
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Few pedestrians walk along the historic Grand Bazaar in Tehran on Monday, June 16, 2025 (AP)
Iran has executed a man convicted of working for "Israel’s" Mossad intelligence agency, the country’s judiciary announced on Monday.
The defendant, identified as Bahman Choubi-Asl, was put to death after the Supreme Court upheld his conviction for what officials described as “extensive and conscious cooperation with the Israeli spy service in the database field.”
Choubi-Asl, a database expert, had been employed at a knowledge-based company that managed sensitive telecommunications projects. Authorities said his managerial role gave him broad access to Iran’s “vital and sovereign databases.”
According to judicial reports, Mossad operatives first targeted Choubi-Asl while he was attending a specialist course in a Gulf country. Using a front company called ESMI, they established contact and later arranged for him to travel to Armenia, later changed to India, where he was offered financial incentives and training.
He subsequently underwent a 45-day program in Ireland, where a Persian-speaking handler reportedly briefed him on Iranian infrastructure and database systems.
Wider context
Prosecutors said Mossad’s primary objective was to penetrate government databases and undermine Iran’s data centers. Secondary goals reportedly included tracing imports of electronic equipment. Choubi-Asl was also tasked with facilitating potential sales of hardware to Iranian companies, seen as a tactic to plant compromised equipment inside critical infrastructure.
The court cited his deliberate collaboration, pointing to 63 meetings held during nine foreign trips to countries, including the UAE, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Ireland, and Bulgaria, during which he reportedly received money and spy tools.
He was convicted of espionage on behalf of a foreign entity and executed after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld his sentence.
Crackdown on Mossad-linked networks intensifies
Iranian authorities say they have intensified a broader crackdown on Mossad-linked networks in recent months, reporting the arrest of more than 700 operatives and the dismantling of underground drone facilities said to have been run by Israeli agents inside the country.
"Israel" had launched an aggression against Iran on June 13, during which senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians were killed. Within 24 hours, Iran launched a retaliatory response involving missile and drone strikes, later escalating its operations under the True Promise III campaign.
The United States entered the war on June 22, launching strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, a move Tehran condemned as a violation of international law. In response, Iran targeted Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the region.
After 12 days of aggression, a ceasefire between Tehran and the Israeli occupation came into effect on June 24.
