[[{"content_id":417377,"content_number":0,"portal_id":2,"lang_id":"en","content_title":"Mossad spy funneling sensitive Iranian intelligence to Israel hanged","content_rtitr":"","content_short_title":null,"content_summary":"A convicted spy who was trained by Zionist regime’s spy agency, Mossad, in Nepal and systematically funneled sensitive information from Iranian military and cyber institutions to Israel has been executed, Iran’s Judiciary announced.","content_summary_fill":1,"content_body":"According to court documents, Ehsan Afrashteh first established contact with Mossad operatives in Turkey.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfter assessing Afrashteh&rsquo;s family connections to sensitive state institutions, the Mossad officer instructed him to return to Iran and attempt to gain employment in a sensitive organization. Although he ultimately failed to infiltrate that specific body, Mossad paid him 1,000 euros before his return to build trust.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nInitially, Afrashteh operated under the cover of a ride-hailing driver, carrying out Mossad&rsquo;s orders. Following Mossad&rsquo;s training, he documented targeted locations, filmed the vicinity of the Ministry of Intelligence, attended public gatherings, and provided personality profiles of individuals to his handler.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHe later secured a position as a cybersecurity expert in a company affiliated with a military institution. Once employed, he immediately disclosed details to Mossad, marking a new phase in his collaboration. He relayed employee identities, organizational charts, and company missions to the Israeli spy agency.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe convict became fluent in English, French, and Hebrew during his espionage activities. His operational codename within Mossad was &ldquo;James.&rdquo; Technical analysis of recovered emails revealed that he exchanged at least four to five encrypted messages monthly with his handlers, not including voice calls. Over 300 messages were exchanged between them.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAfrashteh traveled to Nepal, where he met Mossad officers in Kathmandu and was later moved to a safe house in Pokhara. Three Mossad operatives accompanied him on his flight via the UAE. During his stay in Pokhara, he was denied access to his personal laptop and phone. There, he received advanced in-person training and new operational missions.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUpon returning to Iran via Istanbul, he was arrested immediately upon disembarking from his flight at Imam Khomeini International Airport. Judicial authorities had issued an order for his detention.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDespite attempts to mislead investigators, forensic evidence and recovered communications left no doubt about his espionage activities. Afrashteh eventually confessed upon being presented with the evidence.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe investigation into Afrashteh was triggered by multiple red flags, including unusual financial growth, contacts with Jewish individuals, efforts to learn Hebrew, cryptocurrency trading through Southeast Asian exchanges, and suspicious travel to Turkey and the UAE.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nFollowing his arrest, investigation by judicial authorities, and his own confessions, Afrashteh was tried for espionage and intelligence cooperation with the Israeli regime in exchange for financial compensation.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe death sentence was carried out in the early hours of Wednesday, following the completion of all legal procedures.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSince the launch of the first US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran on June 13 last year, the Iranian security forces have captured dozens of people who were at the enemy&rsquo;s service.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIran&rsquo;s Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei has called on the courts to work on the cases of espionage immediately and avoid lengthy bureaucratic processes.","content_html":"<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">According to court documents, Ehsan Afrashteh first established contact with Mossad operatives in Turkey.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">After assessing Afrashteh&rsquo;s family connections to sensitive state institutions, the Mossad officer instructed him to return to Iran and attempt to gain employment in a sensitive organization. Although he ultimately failed to infiltrate that specific body, Mossad paid him 1,000 euros before his return to build trust.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Initially, Afrashteh operated under the cover of a ride-hailing driver, carrying out Mossad&rsquo;s orders. Following Mossad&rsquo;s training, he documented targeted locations, filmed the vicinity of the Ministry of Intelligence, attended public gatherings, and provided personality profiles of individuals to his handler.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">He later secured a position as a cybersecurity expert in a company affiliated with a military institution. Once employed, he immediately disclosed details to Mossad, marking a new phase in his collaboration. He relayed employee identities, organizational charts, and company missions to the Israeli spy agency.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">The convict became fluent in English, French, and Hebrew during his espionage activities. His operational codename within Mossad was &ldquo;James.&rdquo; Technical analysis of recovered emails revealed that he exchanged at least four to five encrypted messages monthly with his handlers, not including voice calls. Over 300 messages were exchanged between them.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Afrashteh traveled to Nepal, where he met Mossad officers in Kathmandu and was later moved to a safe house in Pokhara. Three Mossad operatives accompanied him on his flight via the UAE. During his stay in Pokhara, he was denied access to his personal laptop and phone. There, he received advanced in-person training and new operational missions.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Upon returning to Iran via Istanbul, he was arrested immediately upon disembarking from his flight at Imam Khomeini International Airport. Judicial authorities had issued an order for his detention.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Despite attempts to mislead investigators, forensic evidence and recovered communications left no doubt about his espionage activities. Afrashteh eventually confessed upon being presented with the evidence.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">The investigation into Afrashteh was triggered by multiple red flags, including unusual financial growth, contacts with Jewish individuals, efforts to learn Hebrew, cryptocurrency trading through Southeast Asian exchanges, and suspicious travel to Turkey and the UAE.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Following his arrest, investigation by judicial authorities, and his own confessions, Afrashteh was tried for espionage and intelligence cooperation with the Israeli regime in exchange for financial compensation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">The death sentence was carried out in the early hours of Wednesday, following the completion of all legal procedures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Since the launch of the first US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran on June 13 last year, the Iranian security forces have captured dozens of people who were at the enemy&rsquo;s service.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Iran&rsquo;s Judiciary Chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei has called on the courts to work on the cases of espionage immediately and avoid lengthy bureaucratic processes.<\/span><\/p>","content_source":"","content_url":"","content_date_start":"2026-05-13 12:57:30","content_date_event":"2026-05-13 12:57:30","content_date_event_start":null,"content_date_event_end":null,"content_show_title_slider":1,"content_date_last_edit":"2026-05-13 12:58:33","content_date_register":"2026-05-13 12:58:33","content_columns":0,"content_show_img":1,"content_show_details":0,"content_show_related_img":0,"content_show_slider":1,"content_comment":1,"content_score":0,"tag_id":0,"score_average":null,"score_count":null,"score_date_last":null,"uid":43,"eid":0,"attach_title":"Mossad spy funneling sensitive Iranian intelligence to Israel hanged","attaches":[{"sizes":{"150":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202605\/569913_4125648274_150_84.webp","300":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202605\/569913_4125648274_300_168.webp","400":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202605\/569913_4125648274_400_224.webp","600":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202605\/569913_4125648274_600_335.webp","900":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202605\/569913_4125648274_900_503.webp","1200":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202605\/569913_4125648274_1000_559.jpg"},"ext":"jpg","file_media":1,"token":4125648274,"files":{"original":{"url":".\/file\/2\/attach\/202605\/569913_4125648274.jpg","width":1000,"height":559,"size":0}}}]}]]