Iran executes Kourosh Keyvani for spying for Mossad — judiciary confirms execution day after Larijani killing

Iran executed Kourosh Keyvani on March 18, 2026, on charges of spying for Israel Mossad intelligence agency, according to a statement from the judiciary Mizan news agency. Keyvani was convicted of providing Mossad with pictures and information about sensitive locations inside Iran. The execution was announced the day after Israel killed national security chief Ali Larijani in an airstrike — a timing that appears deliberate, signaling the Islamic Republic is actively hunting and punishing those it accuses of enabling Israeli intelligence-gathering and targeting operations. Rights groups and activists had warned since Iran nationwide protests in January that the Islamic Republic could begin conducting mass executions during the war, leveraging wartime emergency powers to suppress dissent and eliminate alleged collaborators. Iran judiciary has historically used espionage charges against critics and dual nationals, raising questions about due process standards in the current conflict context. The Keyvani execution is the first confirmed wartime spy execution of the Day 19 period and adds to growing evidence that Iran is waging a parallel internal security war alongside its external military campaign.