Full Breakdown
Iran Executes Hossein Pedaran for Supplying Mossad with Missile-Site Intelligence
By Drooid · · How we work
Execution of Hossein Pedaran for Mossad Espionage
On September 19, Iran’s judiciary announced that Hossein Pedaran was hanged after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence for espionage and intelligence cooperation with Israel’s Mossad. The judiciary-run Mizan news agency said Pedaran had provided Mossad with classified information on missile-related facilities, personnel and internal procedures in the central province of Isfahan. The agency added that Pedaran acted for financial gain, receiving payments in euros from Mossad.
Background & Context
The case is linked to the “12-day war” that took place in June 2025, when U.S. and Israeli forces struck a series of Iranian military sites. Iranian authorities claim that some of the locations targeted during that conflict were identified through the intelligence Pedaran supplied. According to the judiciary, Pedaran initially attempted to contact the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency via its website, received no response, and subsequently established communication with Mossad through a WhatsApp user identified as “Ben” using a Dutch telephone number. After verification, he transmitted encrypted reports and received training on secure communications, as well as a remote-control device for covert photography and video recording.
Data & Statistics
- Execution count: Iran Human Rights, an NGO based in Norway, reported that at least 1,639 people were executed in Iran in the previous year, the highest figure since 1989.
- Alternative figure: Amnesty International placed the number of executions in the same period at a minimum of 2,159, describing Iran as the world’s second-largest user of the death penalty after China.
- Equipment seized: Searches of Pedaran’s home uncovered a notebook labeled “highly confidential” containing missile-related data, several encrypted memory devices, and a remote-control camera/video unit supplied by Mossad.
- Financial transactions: Pedaran allegedly received multiple payments in euros, delivered in concealed containers at various Tehran and Isfahan locations, and was provided with a contract outlining monthly and annual remuneration, expenses and bonuses.
Official Statements & Responses
Iran’s judiciary, via Mizan, asserted that the damage caused by Pedaran’s espionage was “extensive and disastrous,” leading to the martyrdom and injury of combatants. The agency emphasized that the Supreme Court’s confirmation of the death sentence reflected the severity of the breach of national security. The judiciary also noted that technical investigations and decrypted communications demonstrated a direct link between Pedaran’s reports and subsequent strikes on the disclosed sites.
Criticism & Opposition
Human-rights organizations have condemned the execution. The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran highlighted that more than 1,000 people have been executed in the current year, a figure it could not independently verify. Amnesty International warned that Iran’s continued use of the death penalty, especially for alleged espionage, raises serious concerns about due-process standards and the broader pattern of intimidation against dissenters.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
There is a discrepancy in reported execution totals for the previous year: Iran Human Rights cites 1,639 executions, while Amnesty International reports at least 2,159. Both figures are attributed to the respective organizations, and the article does not resolve the difference. Additionally, while multiple sources describe the content of Pedaran’s communications and the equipment seized, independent verification of the alleged link between his intelligence and specific missile strikes remains unavailable.
