Iran executes satellite engineer accused of spying for Mossad, CIA

His case drew comparisons to those of other elite Iranian students prosecuted on national security charges.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran on Monday executed a scientist accused of spying on behalf of Israel’s Mossad and the CIA, regime-aligned media outlets reported.

The man was identified as aerospace graduate student Erfan Shakourzadeh, who was convicted on espionage charges, the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency reported.

Mizan said Shakourzadeh was executed on accusations of cooperating with the CIA and Mossad and sharing classified scientific information with foreign intelligence services while working with an Iranian scientific organization.

The report did not provide evidence for the allegations.

Shakourzadeh, born in 1997, was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards in February 2025 on charges of “espionage and cooperation with hostile countries.”

His death sentence was recently upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court. Activists had warned in recent days that he could face imminent execution after being transferred from Tehran’s Evin Prison to Ghezel Hesar Prison, a facility associated with executions.

Shakourzadeh was a graduate student at Iran University of Science and Technology, where he specialized in satellite technology. He previously studied electrical engineering at the University of Tabriz.

Supporters described him as a researcher who worked on satellite testing software and satellite control and positioning systems.

Mizan claimed Shakourzadeh had contacted foreign intelligence services in three stages, two connected to Mossad and one to the CIA.

His case drew comparisons to those of other elite Iranian students prosecuted on national security charges, including Sharif University student and international astronomy medalist Ali Younesi, whose 2020 arrest became a symbol of Iran’s widening crackdown on academically gifted young Iranians accused of links to hostile states or opposition groups.

Younesi is serving a 16-year sentence alongside fellow Sharif University student Amir Hossein Moradi after both were convicted on national security charges.

Aerospace, satellite and advanced engineering fields have become especially sensitive for Iranian security agencies amid years of cyber conflict, sanctions pressure and fears of foreign infiltration of strategic sectors.

Rights advocates have also raised concern over the transfer of political and security prisoners to Ghezel Hesar, which has increasingly been used to hold inmates facing execution.

Iran has seen a sharp rise in executions this year as authorities tightened security controls after the January uprising and the subsequent conflict with the United States and Israel.