Iran executed two men convicted ​of cooperating with Israel’s intelligence service and planning attacks inside the ​country, the judiciary’s ​news outlet Mizan reported on ⁠Sunday, the latest in a string of executions since the outbreak of war with Israel and the United States.

Mizan said the ​two, identified as Mohammad ​Masoum Shahi and Hamed Validi, were accused of belonging ​to a spy ​network linked to the Mossad and had ‌received ⁠training abroad, including in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.

It did not say when they were arrested.

They were convicted ​on charges ​including “enmity ⁠against God” and collaboration with “hostile groups and the Zionist regime,” Mizan said.

Their ​death ⁠sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court ⁠before ​being carried ​out, Mizan added.

Iran has carried out multiple executions since the start of war with the United States and Israel on February 28, with strikes that killed the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. A fragile two-week ceasefire has been in place since April 8.

Execution of Two Security Defendants After Overnight Transfer Raises Fair Trial Concerns Early this morning, Mohammad Masoum (Nima) Shahi and Hamed Validi were executed after being convicted on security-related charges, including alleged cooperation with Mossad. Advertisement if(typeof rgb_remove_toi_dfp_banner != "function" || !rgb_remove_toi_dfp_banner("#336x280_Middle_1")){ window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; tude.cmd.push(function() { if(navigator.userAgent.indexOf("rgbmedia-app") > -1){ tude.setDeviceType("mobile"); } tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { divId: '336x280_Middle_1', baseDivId: '336x280_Middle_1', } ]); }); } The executions… pic.twitter.com/KCexIyIUO2 — Rojhelat Info (@RojhelatInfo_En) April 20, 2026

Execution of Two Security Defendants After Overnight Transfer Raises Fair Trial Concerns

Early this morning, Mohammad Masoum (Nima) Shahi and Hamed Validi were executed after being convicted on security-related charges, including alleged cooperation with Mossad.

The executions… pic.twitter.com/KCexIyIUO2

— Rojhelat Info (@RojhelatInfo_En) April 20, 2026

Iran is the world’s second most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups based outside the country.

Earlier this month, Iran’s hardline judiciary chief urged courts to speed up verdicts linked to the US-Israeli war, including capital punishment, as activists sounded the alarm about surging hangings of convicts seen as political prisoners.

“You need to speed up the issuing of sentences for executions and the confiscation of property,” judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei told a televised meeting of senior judiciary officials.

Using existing laws on punishing espionage, “it is necessary to continue issuing judicial verdicts for elements and agents of the aggressor enemy with greater speed,” he added.

Most of those executed are young men, including teens, alleged to have been either involved in the nationwide protests in January that were brutally suppressed by the regime — with thousands shot dead in the streets — or members of banned opposition groups.

Earlier this month, Iran executed a man named Ali Fahim convicted over an alleged attempt to storm a military facility and access an armory during unrest in January.

Iran has already executed three others linked to the incident.

Amnesty International has said that these executions have shown the judiciary to be “a tool of repression sending individuals to the gallows to spread fear and exacting revenge on those demanding fundamental political change.”

Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:

Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock under difficult conditions to cover this conflict;

Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and emails; and

Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.

We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.

Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.

So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel

1 ToI in southern Lebanon26 years later, IDF restores its south Lebanon security zone — with key changes

2 Reporter's notebookGreen in the valley: Israel’s abandoned fishponds are turning into a solar goldmine

3 Trump managing Iran war based on conflicting caprices that blindside his aides — report

4 Iran parliament speaker touts ‘progress’ in US talks, but Strait of Hormuz still shut

5 Trump says talks to take place Tuesday, as Iran says it has ‘no plans’ to attend

6 IDF says photo of soldier destroying Jesus statue in Lebanon is genuine, vows action

7 Arson attempt hits London synagogue; Iran-linked group claims attack

8 As Israel approaches 78th Independence Day, its population stands at 10.244 million

2026 US-Israel war with Iran

© The Times of Israel