2.05.2025

Iran Executes Man Linked to Mossad in Colonel's Killing

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran executed Wednesday a man it said worked for Israel’s foreign intelligence agency and played a role in the 2022 killing of a Revolutionary Guard colonel in Tehran, the official IRNA news agency reported

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – On Wednesday, the Iranian government executed a man identified as Mohsen Langarneshin, who was purportedly working as a spy for Israel's foreign intelligence agency, the Mossad. According to the official IRNA news agency, Langarneshin played a significant role in the assassination of Colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, a member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who was shot five times by gunmen on a motorbike outside his residence in Tehran in 2022.

The IRNA report characterized Langarneshin as a “senior spy” for the Mossad, alleging that he provided "technical support" for the operation that led to Khodaei's assassination. Langarneshin was reportedly recruited by the Mossad in 2020 and had meetings with Israeli intelligence officers in countries such as Georgia and Nepal.

In conjunction with his alleged espionage activities, Langarneshin was said to have rented safe houses for Mossad operatives in various Iranian cities, including Isfahan. These activities became particularly notable in January 2023, when Iran accused Israel of orchestrating attacks involving bomb-carrying drones targeting what Iran labeled a military workshop.

The Iranian authorities claim that Langarneshin confessed to his alleged crimes during proceedings at Iran's Revolutionary Court. This court, established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is recognized for imposing severe penalties on individuals perceived to be in opposition to Iran's clerical regime. Typically, the court arranges for court-appointed lawyers and restricts media access to the trials.

At the time of Khodaei's assassination, local media referred to him as a “defender of the shrine,” a title used for Iranian fighters who combat the extremist Islamic State group in regions like Syria and Iraq. Khodaei was affiliated with the elite Quds Force, which is tasked with overseeing foreign operations of the IRGC.

The execution of Mohsen Langarneshin reflects ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel, particularly in the context of espionage and assassination operations that have characterized their adversarial relationship in recent years. The Iranian government continues to uphold harsh penalties for those it accuses of collaborating with foreign intelligence services, particularly against an backdrop of longstanding geopolitical rivalries and conflicts in the region.