Iran Executes Aerospace Engineer Convicted of Spying for CIA and Mossad

Iranian authorities hanged Erfan Shakourzadeh at dawn on Monday at Ghezel Hesar prison outside Tehran. The 29-year-old post-graduate student at Iran University of Science and Technology had been convicted of collaborating with the CIA and Mossad, according to the Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website.

com reported that he was the fifth person executed on espionage charges since the beginning of the war in late February 2026.

Shakourzadeh was transferred from Evin prison to Ghezel Hesar earlier in May 2026, Hengaw said. He had been arrested in February 2025. Mizan Online stated that he worked on satellite technology and provided details to the CIA and Mossad about his workplace, access level, duties and other sensitive information.

His confessions are scheduled to be broadcast on state television on the evening of May 11, 2026, Mizan said. Before his execution Shakourzadeh wrote a message rejecting the charges as fabricated. He stated the accusations were baseless and he had been forced into false confessions due to torture.

"Do not let another innocent life be lost in silence and without public attention," Shakourzadeh said, according to the message published by Hengaw and Iran Human Rights. He had graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tabriz and was a top-ranked master's student in aerospace engineering at Iran University of Science and Technology, Hengaw reported.

The rights groups said he was held in solitary confinement and subjected to torture.

Hengaw said Shakourzadeh endured nine months of severe physical and psychological torture in solitary confinement to extract forced confessions. Iran Human Rights and Hengaw both reported that he was subjected to torture and forced to give false confessions. Rights groups have accused Iran of using capital punishment as a tool to spread fear during times of international and domestic tension.

Iran has executed 24 people seen as political prisoners since the start of the war against the United States and Israel, according to Sébastien DUPUY of Agence France-Presse. Iranian authorities have executed 13 men charged over January protests since the start of the war, Iran Human Rights said.

They have also executed one man charged over 2022 demonstrations and 10 people accused of links to banned opposition groups since the start of the war.

Iran hanged at least 1,639 people in 2025, according to Iran Human Rights. The group has recorded at least 190 executions so far in 2026.

Iran is the world's most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups.