New Delhi: Iranian authorities on Sunday executed four people accused of working for Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, the news agency Associated Press reported citing state-run news agency IRNA. Three other accused received lengthy prison sentences.
IRNA reported that the country’s powerful Revolutionary Guard announced the arrests stating that the members had previous criminal records and tried to disrupt the country’s security.
According to the report, network members stole and destroyed private and public property and kidnapped individuals, and interrogated them. It further said that the alleged spies had weapons and received wages from Mossad in the form of cryptocurrency.
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Israel and Iran are regional arch-enemies and Iran occasionally announces the detention of people it says are spying for foreign countries, including the United States and Israel. Iran does not recognise Israel and supports anti-Israeli armed groups across the region, such as Hezbollah and Hamas.
The executed prisoners have been identified as Hossein Ordoukhanzadeh, Shahin Imani Mahmoudabadi, Milad Ashrafi and Manouchehr Shahbandi, IRNA stated, as reported by AP.
They were arrested and sentenced to death in June on charges of “intelligence cooperation with Israel.”
According to the news agency, three other members of the group received sentences of five to 10 years in prison, but they were not identified.
Iran and Israel have long accused each other of spying. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat and has repeatedly threatened to take military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies it is seeking such weapons and has vowed a harsh response to any Israeli aggression.
In January, Israel said it had broken up an Iranian spy ring that recruited Israeli women via social media to photograph sensitive sites, gather intelligence and encourage their sons to join Israeli military intelligence.
In July, Iran said it arrested members of an armed group linked to Mossad after they sneaked into Iran from across its western border.
(With inputs from AP)