Iran hangs 3 for spying for Israel; arrested 700 in sweeping crackdown during 12-day conflict with Tel Aviv
In a sweeping crackdown to punish those with links to Israel, Iran said on Wednesday, June 25, that it has executed three men for spying for Benjamin Netanyahu.
The hanging comes a day after Israel and Iran agreed to the Donald Trump-initiated mediation after 12 days of heightened conflict over Tehran's possession of nuclear weapons.
During the conflict, Iran also arrested at least 700 persons, accused of ties with Israel.
The three men who have been executed by Iran have been identified as Idris Ali, Azad Shojai and Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul.
Iran claims that the three men attempted to bring in assassination equipment into the country.
The Iranian judiciary said, 'Idris Ali, Azad Shojai and Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul, who attempted to import equipment into the country to carry out assassinations, were arrested and tried for... cooperation favouring the Zionist regime.'
'The sentence was carried out this morning…and they were hanged.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
17 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Oil prices rise 2% as investors assess Iran-Israel ceasefire, Fed outlook
Oil prices climbed 2 per cent on Wednesday as investors assessed the stability of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, while support also came from market expectations that interest rate cuts could happen soon in the United States, the world's largest economy. Brent crude futures rose $1.31, or 2 per cent, to $68.45 a barrel at 0750 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude gained $1.24 cents, or 1.9 per cent, to $65.61. Brent settled on Tuesday at its lowest since June 10 and WTI since June 5, both before Israel launched a surprise attack on key Iranian military and nuclear facilities on June 13. Prices had rallied to five-month highs after the US attacked Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend. "Geopolitical risk premiums have been reduced and will take a backseat for Chair Powell's first testimony to Congress (yesterday) has hinted at a slight chance of bringing forward the first rate cut of 2025 to should offer some form of floor on oil prices from the demand side," said OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong. Technical factors drove price increases during the session, he added. Lower interest rates typically spur economic growth and demand for oil. A slew of US macroeconomic data released overnight including on consumer confidence showed possibly weaker than expected economic growth in the world's largest oil consumer, bolstering expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts this year. Futures point to nearly 60 basis points worth of easing by December. On the geopolitical front, a preliminary US intelligence assessment said US airstrikes did not destroy Iran's nuclear capability and only set it back by a few months, as a shaky ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump took hold between Iran and Israel. Earlier on Tuesday, both Iran and Israel signalled that the air war between the two nations had ended, at least for now, after Trump publicly scolded them for violating a ceasefire. As the two countries lifted civilian restrictions after 12 days of war - which the US joined with an attack on Iran's uranium-enrichment facilities - each sought to claim victory. "While concerns regarding Middle Eastern supply have diminished for now, they have not entirely disappeared, and there remains a stronger demand for immediate supply," said ING analysts in a client note. Oil prices will likely consolidate at around $65-70 per barrel levels as traders look to more US macroeconomic data this week and the Fed's rate decision, said independent market analyst Tina Teng. Investors were also waiting on US government data on domestic crude and fuel stockpiles due on Wednesday. [EIA/S] Industry data showed US crude inventories fell by 4.23 million barrels in the week ended June 20, market sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. [API/S] (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mint
26 minutes ago
- Mint
Nouriel Roubini: Regime change in Iran could give peace a chance in West Asia
Nouriel Roubini Hostilities between Israel and Iran may be ending after sharp US intervention, but the Iranian regime has been shaken and may fall. Should it be replaced, not just the West, but the whole volatile region might be better off. Iranians have revolted against their regime before and when given the chance, they have always chosen moderate leaders over theocratic zealots. Gift this article Last November, I said that Israel was likely to attack Iran's nuclear and other military facilities, even go so far as to eliminate the 'regime's top military and political leaders." I also argued that 'any US administration would inevitably continue to support [Israel], directly or indirectly." Last November, I said that Israel was likely to attack Iran's nuclear and other military facilities, even go so far as to eliminate the 'regime's top military and political leaders." I also argued that 'any US administration would inevitably continue to support [Israel], directly or indirectly." Regardless of divisions in Tel Aviv about the conduct of war in Gaza, the broad consensus across the Israeli political spectrum— including centre-left critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—was that Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon, seen as an existential threat to Israel. Centrist leaders such as Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid criticized Netanyahu for being soft on Iran. It was only matter of time before Israel struck Iran, which, starting on 7 October 2023, had unleashed Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis and Shia militias in Syria and Iraq against Israel. After Tel Aviv decimated these proxies and Iran lost deterrence, Iran's only option was to gain nukes, an unacceptable outcome for Israel and the West broadly. Thus, Israel's attack against Iran. And since some of Iran's hardened nuclear facilities were robust enough to withstand Israeli weapons, it was clear that the US would intervene to destroy those units, despite the anti-interventionist sentiment of US President Donald Trump's political base. Iran counter-attacked Israel with missile barrages [and later fired at a US base in Qatar, causing no serious damage]. [Trump announced a ceasefire thereafter], but the Iranian regime is so weakened that it can barely defend itself, let alone [hurt the US]. Yes, some Shia militias may try to attack well-defended US bases and troops in the region. But, leaving aside the risk of even more forceful US and Israeli attacks, they cannot damage much. Also, the Iranian regime's ability and veiled willingness to block the Strait of Hormuz, mine the Gulf and/or attack the oil facilities and pipelines of its Arab neighbours is limited. The regime is focusing on its survival, but its collapse looks likely in the coming months. True, for now Israel's attack has led even the anti-regime opposition to rally around the flag. Over time, however, a large majority of Iranians who despise a regime that has brought about the country's economic ruin will rise against it and replace it with something else. In 1990, Iran's per capita GDP was almost equal to that of Israel; today, Israel's is nearly 15 times higher. Iran's energy reserves rival Saudi Arabia's, yet it has lost hundreds of billions of dollars in potential energy revenues in [fierce but futile] opposition to the West. Also Read: Israel-Iran conflict: Echoes of history haunt West Asia Today, Iranians face skyrocketing inflation, collapsing real incomes, mass poverty and even hunger not because of US and Western sanctions, but because of their rulers' policies. A country that could have been richer than any Gulf oil state is near bankruptcy, owing to the regime's corruption, incompetence and strategic recklessness. In addition to being a curse to its own people, the Islamic Republic has financed terror groups in West Asia for decades and caused state failure or semi-failure across the region: in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza/Palestine and Iraq. Stabilization and recovery of the region's failing and failed states requires regime change in Iran. The Iranian people could trigger it over the next year. Iranians have revolted against their regime at least a half-dozen times in the last few decades, and, when given the chance, they have always chosen moderate leaders over theocratic zealots. Also Read: Javier Blas: An Israel-Iran war may not rattle the oil market For now, financial markets are correctly betting that the global impact of this recent war is likely to be minimal. Current movements of oil prices, US and global equities, US and global bond yields, and currencies suggest that a major stagflationary shock coming from a disruption of production and energy exports from the Gulf remains only a tail risk, not the baseline scenario. The 1973 Yom Kippur War and Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979 led to a huge spike in oil prices that fuelled the severe stagflations of 1974-75 and 1980-82. This time is likely to be different: the energy input in consumption and production in oil-importing economies is much lower than in the 1970s; the US and other major new non-Opec energy producers have emerged; Saudi Arabia and others are able to tap large excess production capacity and inventories. And in case oil prices rise as US actions create new risks, various macro policies and other tools can be used to reduce the stagflationary impact. A nuclear Iran would have been a threat not just to Israel but all Sunni regimes in the region, as well as the West. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said what many world leaders think but don't want to admit in public: 'Israel is doing the dirty work for all of us." Even China and Russia have shown restraint. Radical forces have destabilized West Asia for decades, with spillover effects on the West. It took Israel to weaken and destroy Iran's proxies. Regime collapse in Iran may boost stability and allow for reconstruction, with diplomatic relations established between Israel and Saudi Arabia. A new government in Israel more open to peace with Palestinians and an eventual two-state solution will then be possible. But the Iranian Hydra needs to be replaced with a rational regime eager [for peace]. ©2025/Project Syndicate The author is professor emeritus of economics at New York University's Stern School of Business and author of 'MegaThreats: Ten Dangerous Trends That Imperil Our Future, and How to Survive Them'. Topics You May Be Interested In
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
34 minutes ago
- First Post
Rubio says Iran now 'much further' from nuclear weapon after US strikes
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Politico on Wednesday that Iran was 'much further away from a nuclear weapon' following a US strike on Tehran's three main nuclear sites over the weekend. read more US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Iran's nuclear capabilities had been dealt a serious blow following recent US airstrikes on its key nuclear sites, despite reports suggesting only a limited delay to Tehran's programme. Speaking to Politico on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Rubio pushed back against media claims that the strikes over the weekend had set back Iran's nuclear efforts by just a few months. 'The bottom line is, they are much further away from a nuclear weapon today than they were before the president took this bold action,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD His remarks come after media on a preliminary US intelligence assessment indicating that the impact of the strike on Iran's programme may be relatively short-term. The White House and President Donald Trump have strongly rejected that conclusion. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump insisted the nuclear sites had been 'completely destroyed.' The White House, in response to the Reuters report, directed CNN to press secretary Karoline Leavitt's statement calling the alleged assessment 'flat-out wrong.' Rubio said that substantial damage had been inflicted on various components of Iran's nuclear infrastructure and that further details were still emerging. He dismissed the negative assessments as misleading and not reflective of the broader intelligence picture. The president reiterated on his Truth Social account that the Iranian nuclear sites were completely destroyed, while the White House pointed Reuters to a statement by spokesperson Karoline Leavitt to CNN, which first reported the assessment, that the 'alleged' conclusion was 'flat-out wrong.' 'The bottom line is, they are much further away from a nuclear weapon today than they were before the president took this bold action,' Rubio told Politico on the sidelines of the NATO summit. 'That's the most important thing to understand — significant, very significant, substantial damage was done to a variety of different components, and we're just learning more about it,' Rubio added, referring to the damage done to the Iranian nuclear sites. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rubio dismissed the media reports as 'false' and said they did not capture the full picture, according to Politico. A ceasefire brokered by Trump between Iran and Israel appeared to be holding on Wednesday, a day after both countries signalled that their air war had ended. Israel launched the surprise air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders. Iran, which denies trying to build nuclear weapons, retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites and cities. With inputs from agencies
