“High-ranking Mossad agent” hanged in Iran: judiciary

Iran on Wednesday executed a man convicted of espionage for “Israel's” Mossad spy agency and involvement in the 2022 assassination of a Revolutionary Guards colonel, the judiciary said.

Mohsen Langarneshin, described as "a high-ranking spy" who supported Mossad operations inside Iran, was hanged in the morning, the judiciary's Mizan Online news website reported.

It said he was implicated in the May 2022 killing of Guards colonel Sayyad Khodai.

The execution of Mohsen Langarneshin follows a pattern of Iran prosecuting alleged Mossad operatives. In recent years, Iran has announced multiple arrests and executions of individuals accused of collaborating with “Israeli” intelligence.

For example, in December 2023, four people, including a woman, were hanged for alleged sabotage linked to Mossad, and another individual was executed for spying in Sistan-Baluchistan province.

In January 2024, four men were executed for plotting to sabotage a defense ministry site in Isfahan, an operation Iran claimed was orchestrated by Mossad.

Iran attributed the 2022 assassination of Colonel Sayyad Khodai, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), to “Israel”, and Langarneshin’s execution is linked to his alleged role in supporting this operation.

Iran’s judiciary, which oversees such cases, operates under a legal framework that includes charges like “moharebeh” (waging war against God) and “corruption on Earth,” often used in espionage and security-related convictions.

The country has one of the highest execution rates globally, with over 600 executions reported in 2023, according to human rights groups.