Iran executes three prisoners accused of spying for Israel
The hangings happened in Urmia Prison in Iran's West Azerbaijan province, the country's most north-west province, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Advertisement
IRNA said Iran's judiciary claimed the men had been accused of bringing 'assassination equipment' into the country.
Iran has carried out several hangings during its war with Israel, sparking fears from activists that it could conduct a wave of executions after the conflict ended.
Iran identified the three men executed as Azad Shojaei, Edris Aali and Iraqi national Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul.
People began to return to their normal lives as a ceasefire with Israel appeared to be holding (Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)
Amnesty International had previously raised concerns that the men could be executed.
Advertisement
Wednesday's executions bring the total number of hangings for espionage around the war up to six since June 16.
Activists fear more people will be executed, particularly after Iran's theocracy issued a deadline for people to turn themselves in over spying.
People in Iran, meanwhile, began trying to return to their normal lives as a shaky ceasefire with Israel, negotiated by US President Donald Trump, appeared to be holding.
State media described heavy traffic around the Caspian Sea area and other rural areas outside of the capital, Tehran, as people began returning to the city.
Advertisement
Tehran experienced intense Israeli airstrikes throughout the war, including those that targeted Iran's top military leadership and other sites associated with its ruling theocracy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump's approval rating has dropped to a new low
Donald Trump 's approval rating has fallen to 40 per cent, marking the lowest point of his second presidential term, according to a new Reuters/ Ipsos poll. The poll indicates a sharp national divide, with 83 per cent of Republicans approving, but only three per cent of Democrats and a third of independents supporting his performance. While approval for his handling of the economy and immigration policies saw slight increases, his overall rating has dropped by approximately 12 points since January. Trump's approval among men has significantly declined, with a CBS / YouGov poll showing 47 per cent approval compared to 54 per cent before his second electoral victory. The dip in ratings comes as some of his core supporters question his administration's handling of the 'Epstein files', despite earlier promises of transparency.
The Herald Scotland
42 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Brown inks deal with Trump administration to restore funds
Unlike the contract with Columbia, Brown won't pay money directly to the government. Instead, the university in Providence, Rhode Island, committed to providing $50 million in grants to workforce development organizations across the state over the next 10 years. There were other stipulations, however: The university said it would commission a survey on campus life to its Jewish students. It also said it would hand over admissions data, broken down by various factors including race, in an annual report to the federal government (a provision included in the Columbia agreement as well). Read more: The details of Columbia's extraordinary $220 million deal with Trump Brown also promised to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at benning transgender athletes in women's sports. And the university said its medical facilities would not facilitate gender-affirming care for minors. In exchange, the Trump administration promised to reinstate payments for active research grants at the university and restore its ability to compete for new federal grants and contracts. In a statement announcing the deal Brown President Christina Paxson emphasized that the agreement does not give the government any authority to "dictate Brown's curriculum or the content of academic speech." Read more: Ivy League colleges face a reckoning after Columbia's Trump deal "The University's foremost priority throughout discussions with the government was remaining true to our academic mission, our core values and who we are as a community at Brown," she said. Linda McMahon, the secretary of the Department of Education, said in a statement, "the Trump Administration is successfully reversing the decades-long woke-capture of our nation's higher education institutions." Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@ Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @
The Herald Scotland
42 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Arab League backs call for Hamas to hand over its weapons
As part of an end to the Gaza war, they said Hamas "must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority." The declaration came at a two-day United Nations conference in New York. More: Two Israeli rights groups say Israel is committing genocide in Gaza The Arab call for Hamas to disarm came as Gaza is in the grip of starvation brought on by a near-complete Israeli blockade of food and medical supplies. More than 60,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza during Israel's retaliatory war on Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel. "Those children look very hungry," President Donald Trump said July 28, contradicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's assertion that there was no starvation in Gaza. "I want to make sure they get the food, every ounce of food." Hamas has consistently rejected calls to disarm or cede control of Gaza. The Arab League has 22 members including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, most of whom are aligned against Iran, Hamas' most important backer. Contributing: Reuters
