Iran executes man accused of giving Israel missile info

Iran's judiciary said Saturday that Hossein Pedaran had been executed after being accused of giving Israeli intelligence information about Iranian missile sites in Isfahan province.

Judicial authorities said Pedaran had provided Mossad with information on missile sites in the central province. They said he faced accusations of espionage and intelligence collaboration in favour of Israel and that the supreme court had upheld his sentence.

The judiciary did not say when Pedaran was arrested or put on trial. The case had not previously been reported by media.

Iranian authorities have increased arrests and executions linked to the Middle East war that began in February and to nationwide protests that peaked in January. During the war, numerous missile sites have been bombed. Isfahan province hosts Iranian nuclear sites and has been among the hardest hit.

In August, the judiciary announced the executions of two men accused of transmitting coordinates of sensitive military and security sites to Israel. Rights groups say Iran carries out the world's second-highest number of executions after China.