Tehran Executes Satellite Engineer Irfan Shakourzadeh Over Alleged Espionage for CIA and Mossad

On Monday, May 11, 2026, Iran's judiciary-affiliated Mizan News Agency confirmed the execution of Irfan Shakourzadeh, an Iranian citizen convicted of spying for U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies. According to the official report, Shakourzadeh was employed at a strategic scientific organization focused on satellite activities, where he allegedly leaked classified scientific data and sensitive information regarding Iran’s aerospace programs to the CIA and Mossad.

Human Rights Concerns and Alleged Forced Confessions The execution has sparked immediate condemnation from the Iran Human Rights Organization. The group identified Shakourzadeh as a 29-year-old brilliant graduate in Aerospace Engineering. According to their report, the young engineer was arrested in 2025 and subjected to rigorous detention. Human rights advocates claim that Shakourzadeh was "coerced into making false confessions" during his imprisonment, highlighting a recurring pattern of opaque judicial proceedings and the lack of fair trial standards in high-stakes national security cases in Iran.