Iran has executed a former defense ministry worker who sold information to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Iranian judiciary said on Tuesday.

 

 

Reza Asgari had linked up with the CIA during his last years serving at the defense ministry and sold the agency information about Iran’s missile program, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said, quoted by its Mizan website.

 

 

He retired from the ministry four years ago. Esmaili said Asgari was executed last week.

 

 

Separately, Esmaili said a death sentence for Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd, an Iranian accused of spying for US and Israeli intelligence, is among those still to be carried out.

 

 

In June, Iran said another alleged spy, Jalal Hajizavar, was hanged in a prison near Tehran.

 

 

The report said Hajizavar — also a former staffer of the defense ministry — had admitted in court that he was paid to spy for the CIA.

 

 

The report said authorities had also confiscated espionage equipment from his residence. It said the court sentenced Hajizavar’s wife to 15 years in prison for her role in the espionage.

 

 

Last year, Iran announced it had captured 17 spies it said were working for the CIA.

 

 

Before that, in 2016, Iran executed a nuclear scientist convicted of spying for the United States.