Iran sentences alleged Israeli ‘spy’ to death for passing intel on Soleimani

Iran claims alleged spy worked for both the Israelis and Americans, handing over details of infamous Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the U.S. in January.

By Paul Shindman, World Israel News

Iran announced Tuesday that an Iranian convicted of spying for Israeli and American intelligence agencies was sentenced to death.

“Mahmoud Mousavi Majd who was linked with CIA and Mossad and has provided them with intelligence from security bodies, especially armed forces like IRGC, was sentenced to death, ” the official government news agency IRNA reported.

Iranian Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaeili said that “Mousavi Majd had disclosed information on the location of martyred Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.”

Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force of the elite Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps, was killed in an American drone attack in January. An NBC report a week after the attack said Israeli intelligence played a role in the U.S. strike.

Soleimani was known for building up Iran’s military influence across the region and was widely suspected of masterminding attacks by Iran-backed armed groups on U.S. forces deployed in the region.

President Trump called Soleimani “the number one terrorist in the world.”

At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his support for Trump’s decision.

“Qassem Soleimani brought about the death of many American citizens and many other innocents in recent decades and at present. Soleimani initiated, planned and carried out many terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East and beyond,” Netanyahu said.

Iran’s FARS news agency reported that Mousavi Majd “will be executed soon so that his masters see the faith of betrayers.”

Although the Iranians said Mousavi Majd had disclosed the itinerary of the routes taken by Soleimani, a judiciary statement said that information was relayed before January and was not related to the American attack.

Esmaeili said despite the attempts by the U.S. and Israel to spy on Iran, the Iranian security and intelligence forces “foil their plots by preventing the espionage activities.”