Recent events have shed light on the methods employed by Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, to recruit agents within Iran. Following a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, multiple Iranian nuclear scientists and military commanders were assassinated. It’s believed that Israeli spies, embedded within Iran, played a key role in undermining Iran’s defense systems during the conflict. These operations are attributed to Mossad, which is reported to have deeply penetrated Iran’s security apparatus. In the aftermath of the war, Iran has executed several individuals on charges of collaborating with Israel and engaging in espionage. Among them was Rouzbeh Vadi, who was recently hanged. Iranian judicial authorities have provided insights into how Israel is turning Iranian citizens into Mossad agents.
In 2011, three Iranian nuclear scientists – Abdulhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari Daryani, and Rouzbeh Vadi – co-authored a research paper presented at the 18th Iranian Nuclear Energy Conference. Fourteen years later, none of them remain alive. Two were killed by Israel, and one was executed by Iran.
On June 13th, just hours before an attack on Iran, Israel eliminated Minouchehr and Zolfaghari. Seven weeks later, on August 5th, Rouzbeh Vadi was executed on espionage charges for Mossad. In a post-execution Iranian TV program, Vadi was shown in a video confessing to his crimes. In the video, he admitted to providing Mossad with information related to a nuclear center that Israel targeted during the conflict, and he shared information about an Iranian nuclear scientist.
According to Iranian judicial authorities, Rouzbeh Vadi established contact with Mossad through a virtual social network. He then traveled to Vienna under the guise of a training course, where he met with Mossad officials five times. However, the judicial statement leaves out crucial details, including how long Vadi was in custody. According to the Iranian Human Rights Organization, Vadi was arrested around February 2024 and was held in prison from that time onwards.