Iran Executes Two Men Convicted of Espionage for Israel

Iran has executed two men convicted of spying for Israel marking a continuation of the country's surging execution rate amid its ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States.

The individuals Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat, were hanged on Monday morning. Iran's judiciary media outlet Mizan stated they were found guilty of collaborating with the "Zionist regime" by transmitting the coordinates of sensitive military and security sites to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. The specific dates of their arrest and trial remain undisclosed.

Executions in Iran have spiked significantly since the outbreak of war on February 28, which began with massive US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Iranian authorities claim the executed men provided intelligence that directly aided these foreign military operations during the war.

International human rights organizations have strongly condemned Iran's increasing use of the death penalty. According to Amnesty International Iran is the world’s second-most prolific executioner behind only China.

Independent watchdog groups including Norway-based Iran Human Rights and Paris-based ECPM, report that Iran executed at least 1,639 people last year—the highest recorded number since 1989.

These latest hangings follow Amnesty International's recent denunciation of a broader escalation in state executions which included the recent deaths of two men convicted for participating in anti-government protests during the winter.