Iran Executes Three Accused of Being Mossad Agents, Inciting Protests

The Islamic Republic of Iran, through its judiciary's Mizan news agency, has reported the execution of three individuals, Mehdi Rassouli, Mohammad Reza Miri, and Ebrahim Dolatabadi, who were accused of being agents of Israel's Mossad. The state's narrative frames these individuals as instigators of 'riots' and violence, responsible for escalating unrest and the deaths of security forces during protests that began in December 2025. This action is presented as a decisive response to foreign interference aimed at destabilizing the country, particularly in the context of heightened regional tensions involving the U.S. and Israel. From the Iranian perspective, these executions are a necessary measure to maintain national security and order against perceived external threats and internal sedition. The government asserts that the initial protests, stemming from economic hardships, were hijacked by 'foreign forces' to incite violence. While international human rights organizations, such as the Norway-based Iran Human Rights, report a significant increase in executions, the Iranian state maintains that its actions are justified responses to terrorism and foreign-backed subversion. This framing is crucial for the government to consolidate its legitimacy and counter narratives that portray its actions as oppressive crackdowns on legitimate dissent.

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"Mehdi Rassouli and Mohammad Reza Miri, Mossad (Israeli intelligence agency) agents linked to the January riots in the city of Mashhad (northeastern Iran), responsible for escalating violence and the death of a security force member, were hanged."