In the latest development following Iran’s recent conflict with Israel, the Iranian authorities have executed a nuclear scientist accused of leaking sensitive information to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad signalling an intensification of Tehran’s sweeping crackdown on alleged espionage. Dr. Rouzbeh Vadi, a nuclear engineer with a doctorate from Amirkabir University of Technology, was hanged after being convicted of “espionage and collaboration with Mossad.” Iranian officials claim that he passed classified details about nuclear installations some of which were targeted during the recent hostilities—as well as the identity of a fellow Iranian scientist, to Israeli operatives.
The judiciary did not specify the date of the execution but confirmed it as part of a broader wave of arrests and death sentences that have followed the 12-day conflict. That war, triggered by a series of surprise Israeli airstrikes, dealt substantial blows to Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.
Vadi’s academic past has drawn particular attention. In 2011, he co-authored a scientific research paper with two other nuclear scientists Abdolhamid Minoocher and Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari both of whom were assassinated during the same period of Israeli strikes. Their shared fate prompted the BBC to describe the trio’s end as “tragic,” noting that all three died amid acts of geopolitical violence—two through targeted killings and one by state execution.
In the wake of the conflict, Iranian authorities have launched a nationwide security operation, detaining over 2,000 individuals on espionage-related charges. At least ten executions have been confirmed, including seven individuals allegedly linked to Israeli intelligence.
Iranian state media have framed the crackdown as a necessary measure to protect national sovereignty, but international watchdogs have raised alarms over the nature and speed of the judicial process. Amnesty International and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have condemned the rising number of executions, calling the trend “disturbing” and urging Tehran to halt them immediately.
Human rights advocates argue that the executions are part of a broader strategy to suppress internal dissent and deflect criticism of Iran’s military and intelligence failures. They warn that such punitive actions could deepen Iran’s international isolation and exacerbate its ongoing human rights crisis.
With tensions in the region still high, the international community is closely monitoring Iran’s internal response to the fallout from the war. Pressure is mounting on Tehran to ensure transparency in its legal proceedings and to uphold international standards of justice and civil liberties.
