Iran has executed Mohsen Langarneshin, a man accused of being a senior operative for Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad, over his involvement in a string of sabotage and assassination operations, including the high-profile killing of IRGC Colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodaei in May 2022.
According to a statement released Wednesday by Iran’s Judiciary media center, Langarneshin was convicted of Moharebeh (enmity against God) and Efsad-Fil-Arz (corruption on Earth) following what officials described as “irrefutable evidence” of espionage and terrorism on behalf of a foreign intelligence service.
Langarneshin, reportedly recruited by Mossad in September 2020, was accused of receiving extensive operational training abroad and participating in missions aimed at destabilizing Iran’s internal security. The Judiciary said he worked closely with senior Mossad operatives, conducted surveillance, facilitated communications, and provided logistical and technical support for several attacks, including the assassination of Colonel Khodaei.
Khodaei, a member of the elite Quds Force within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was fatally shot outside his Tehran residence by gunmen on a motorcycle—an attack Langarneshin allegedly helped coordinate by purchasing the vehicle used and relaying Khodaei’s movements to the assassins.
The Judiciary further accused Langarneshin of aiding Mossad-backed teams with safe houses, secure communications, and financial transfers within Iran. Notably, he is said to have used the Mossad-exclusive “Red Windows” encrypted communication system and confessed during interrogations to meeting Mossad officers in Georgia and Nepal.
Iranian authorities also linked Langarneshin to a failed sabotage attempt on a Defense Ministry-affiliated facility in Isfahan, asserting that he was instrumental in procuring equipment and organizing logistics for the operation.
His death sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court after legal procedures were completed, according to officials. “Despite his high-level operational training and professionalism, the criminal was ultimately identified and apprehended by Iran’s vigilant security forces,” the Judiciary said.
Israel has not officially commented on the execution. However, Israeli officials in past interviews with international media have hinted at Mossad’s involvement in Khodaei’s assassination, part of a broader covert campaign against Iranian military and nuclear personnel.
