Iran executes man accused of ISIS membership
Iran’s judiciary said on Wednesday it had executed a man convicted of membership in the Islamic State militant group and plotting attacks inside the country, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported.
Iran’s judiciary said on Wednesday it had executed a man convicted of membership in the Islamic State militant group and plotting attacks inside the country, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency reported.
Mizan identified the man as Mehdi Asgharzadeh, also known by the aliases Abu Khaled and Hesam, and said he had received military training in Syria and Iraq before attempting to enter Iran with a five-member team from Iraq through the western highlands.
The report said Asgharzadeh planned to recruit members and carry out “sabotage and terrorist operations” in Iran, including grenade attacks in crowded religious sites followed by suicide bombings.
According to the judiciary, he was arrested after security forces attacked the group’s hideout before the operation could take place. His alleged accomplices were killed in the raid.
He was convicted of “corruption on earth” through collaboration with Islamic State and actions against public security.
Mizan did not specify when he was arrested or provide details of his trial, but said the sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court and carried out on Wednesday morning.
Human rights groups say Iran has sharply increased the pace of executions in recent months. The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center, a Washington-based rights group, said earlier in the month that at least 730 people have been executed in Iran since the start of 2025.
Rights monitors have repeatedly accused Iran of conducting trials that fall far short of international standards and extracting confessions under torture, a charge the Islamic Republic denies.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk last week condemned Iran’s execution of hundreds of people “behind closed doors” and called for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty.
Vadi, who held a doctorate in reactor engineering, had co‑authored a 2011 research paper with senior Iranian nuclear experts later killed during the June conflict with Israel, according to his Google Scholar profile.
According to the Telegram channel of Amir Kabir University, Vadi was a doctoral graduate of the university. He co-authored a paper with Abdolhamid Minouhchehr and Ahmad Zolfaghari, two prominent nuclear specialists killed during the 12-day war.
The judiciary said he was convicted of transferring classified information about one of the scientists killed in those attacks to Mossad.
Its official outlet Mizan reported that Vadi “knowingly and deliberately” cooperated with Israel’s intelligence service.
'Paid crypto'
Officials alleged he was recruited online, vetted by a Mossad officer using the alias Alex, and later assigned to a handler known as Kevin.
After his evaluation, Mossad allegedly determined that Vadi’s workplace and level of access made him a high‑value source,according to the judiciary.
He was then introduced to “one of Mossad’s top divisions.” At his request, payments were made monthly via a cryptocurrency wallet rather than a reward‑per‑mission system.
According to the case file, Vadi was instructed to buy a dedicated phone, laptop, and two flash drives to establish secure communications. After receiving technical training, he was tasked with gathering and transmitting sensitive and classified materials.
Widespread crackdown
Iran would “deal decisively and legally with spies,” referring to ongoing investigations following the June conflict with Israel, Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said on Tuesday during a visit to North Khorasan Province.
Ejei recently said that more than 2,000 people had been arrested during and after the 12-day war, some of whom face the death penalty on charges of “organizational collaboration with the enemy.”
Amnesty International condemned the surge in executions and warned of further imminent deaths.
Iran Human Rights reported that 21 people were executed during the June conflict period, including six men charged with spying for Israel.
Among earlier executions was Mohammad-Amin Mahdavi-Shayesteh, accused of leading a Mossad-linked cyber group.
According to Amnesty, Iran was responsible for 64 percent of all recorded executions worldwide in 2024, and has carried out 612 hangings in the first half of 2025 alone.
Meetings in Vienna
Following initial data transfers, Vadi was reportedly sent to Vienna, where he had previously attended professional training, to meet Mossad officers in person.
On five occasions, he allegedly met them in Austria’s capital under what Iranian authorities described as “high‑level security protocols,” including multiple location changes, vehicle swaps, body searches, and use of “special meeting clothing” before talks began.
During these meetings, Vadi underwent psychological testing and a polygraph exam to assess loyalty and information accuracy. He was then re‑tasked to provide weekly updates on organizational developments and answer technical questions, with payments adjusted accordingly.
The judiciary said Vadi resisted instructions to send large batches of data all at once but ultimately transferred a collection of classified material, including information on the slain nuclear scientist.
Arrest and trial
Iran’s intelligence services said they placed Vadi under surveillance after one of his trips to Vienna. He was eventually arrested in Tehran, and prosecutors charged him with “espionage and intelligence cooperation with the Zionist regime in exchange for a specified payment.”
The court, citing Article 6 of the Law on Combating Hostile Actions of the Zionist Regime Against Peace and Security, along with other articles of the Islamic Penal Code, sentenced him to death for “extensive crimes against domestic and foreign security” and for “causing serious disruption to public order.”
The Supreme Court upheld the verdict, and the sentence was carried out on August 5, 2025.
Shargh newspaper published results of a study on Tuesday, with data collected from different parts in Iran on food intake and access to nutrition.
The daily cited non-governmental organizations and volunteers as having carried out the research, without elaborating.
The report said only 1.7% of households reported daily protein consumption while 27% of all households said they do not consume any kind of protein.
Among households with temporary employment, more than 93% consume protein less than once a week or not at all. In unemployed households, this figure rises to 95%.
No dairy
Iranians face ever-rising prices with inflation around 40%, according to officials. The national currency Rial has lost over 90% of its value since US sanctions were reimposed in 2018.
Dairy consumption is also low, posing a serious nutritional crisis for children.
According to the report, only 2% of children consume daily dairy, and 50% receive none at all, even among households with stable jobs.
The study said that among families classed as living in food poverty, 43% endured what it classed as economic hardship, 32% involved earning-age parents experiencing unemployment and 6% were effected by some form of addiction.
Based on the findings, more than 80% of responses directly or indirectly point to the lack of stable income and employment as the major reason for malnutrition.
Disparity in access
Only 1.7% of households consume protein daily, the report added, with 26.9% consuming no protein at all. Among households with temporary jobs, over 93% consume protein less than once a week or not at all.
“Essentials like meat, chicken, milk, and cheese are gone. Some used to buy scraps or expired chicken, but now even those are unaffordable. Fruit and vegetables, too, are out of reach,” Shargh quoted Reyhaneh Shirazi, a social activist in Tehran’s Darvazeh Ghar district, as saying.
“We see more children with serious stomach aches linked directly to poor diets.” Shirazi added. "Once, food aid was for rare cases. Now it’s common, which is shocking."
Access and affordability
“No one buys meat. If they can afford anything, it's chicken. Maybe if someone donates meat. Fruit is a luxury except watermelon, which grows locally," said a teacher near Kerman.
"Vegetables are rarely consumed. Food is mostly lentils and bread. Breakfast is nonexistent. Illnesses tied to nutrition are high, especially in children."
Parisa Ahmadi, a social worker in Shiraz, says iron and vitamin deficiencies are widespread.
“Parents are street vendors, and kids also work. Doctors confirm they suffer from severe malnutrition, iron and vitamin deficiency, which effects physical and cognitive development," she said. "Common meals are eggplant, beans, lentils and pasta. Meat and eggs once a month. Rice is rare.”
Worst malnutrition cases
Child rights advocate and social entrepreneur Faezeh Derakhshani launched a creative program turning surplus fruit into dried fruit for kids, according to the paper. Her team distributed 130 kg (286 pounds) of dried fruit to kindergartens in Sistan and Baluchistan province.
“There’s no detailed report on kids' intake of meat, dairy, and fruits in Iran. Besides protein-energy malnutrition, we have micronutrient malnutrition, which is less visible but has lasting effects. Zinc, iron and vitamin A and D deficiencies lead to weak immunity, poor learning and stunted growth.”
