Iran carried out the execution of a man accused of working with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, the country’s judiciary announced Wednesday, as watchdog groups reported that the individual had been employed in Iran’s nuclear sector.

The man, identified as Mehdi Farid, was put to death in what marks the latest in a growing series of executions involving individuals accused of espionage, a pattern that has drawn increasing concern from international rights organizations.

In a statement published by the judiciary’s Mizan Online outlet, officials said, “Mehdi Farid… was hanged this morning for extensive cooperation with the terrorist spy service Mossad after the case was examined and the final verdict was approved,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said, adding that he had been convicted of the capital offense of “corruption on earth.”

The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights reported that Farid had been employed by Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization at the time of his arrest on May 31, 2023.

According to the organization, Farid was originally handed a 10-year prison sentence. However, following a retrial in July 2025, the charges were elevated and he was sentenced to death on allegations of spying for Israel.

A separate U.S.-based group, Human Rights Activists News Agency, also stated that Farid, 55, had worked for the atomic energy body and that the retrial was initiated after the prosecutor challenged the initial sentence.

Mizan Online, for its part, described Farid as a manager within Iran’s Passive Defense Organization, a civil defense entity. That organization later issued a denial, stating he held no affiliation, declaring he had “any membership, responsibility or position” there.

The execution comes amid a broader escalation, with Iran carrying out multiple hangings since the outbreak of its conflict with the United States and Israel on February 28. A tenuous ceasefire has been in effect since April 8.

Just days earlier, Mizan reported that two additional individuals accused of collaborating with Mossad were executed. The men, named Mohammad Masoum Shahi and Hamed Validi, were alleged to be part of an espionage network connected to the Israeli agency and were said to have received training abroad, including in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

Human rights groups have long identified Iran as one of the world’s leading executioners, second only to China, and Iranian officials have signaled that those accused of working with Israel should not expect any leniency.