Ali Ardestani, an Iranian man executed January 7, 2026, after being accused of spying on behalf of Israel. (X)
Iranian government claims it captured an agent working on behalf of Israel’s Mossad to operate among anti-regime demonstrators, with a second alleged Mossad agent executed for espionage.
By World Israel News Staff
The Iranian government announced Wednesday the execution of a man who allegedly worked as a Mossad agent, carrying out surveillance on behalf of Israel in exchange for cryptocurrency payments.
According to a statement by the semi-official Tasnim outlet, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the alleged spy, Ali Ardestani, was executed by hanging early Wednesday morning after Iran’s top court upheld the death sentence handed down in the case.
Prosecutors claimed Ardestani was recruited by the Mossad over the internet and was paid various sums of cryptocurrency to carry out a variety of tasks, including photographing and filming specific locations and providing information related to targeted individuals.
Ardestani also allegedly maintained contacts with other Mossad assets in Iran, and is said to have met in person with a Mossad operative, to whom he passed on intelligence data.
During his interrogation, authorities claimed, Ardestani said he had worked with the Mossad both for money, with rewards totaling over $1 million, and a visa to the United Kingdom.
Tasnim reported that Ardestani was arrested while carrying out an assignment for his Mossad handlers.
Wednesday’s execution is the fourth death sentence carried out in Iran since September 2025 against an alleged Mossad spy.
Two days earlier, Iran announced that another Mossad operative had been arrested in Tehran.
According to state media, the suspect had been working in conjunction with anti-regime protesters in the capital.
Among other tasks, the agent reportedly confessed during questioning that he had worked to recruit new assets for the Mossad, identifying candidates through social media.
The suspect’s identity was not made public.
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