A former mixed martial arts (MMA) champion and international referee, Gholamreza Khani Shekarab, has been executed in Iran after being convicted of espionage and collaborating with Israeli intelligence.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing the Fars news agency, Iranian authorities found the 34-year-old athlete guilty of working with Israel's Mossad intelligence service and participating in a sabotage network. The death sentence was carried out following confirmation by the country's judicial authorities.
Prior to his arrest, Shekarab resided in Turkey and was detained by Iranian security forces during a visit to Iraq last year. Tensions between Iran and Israel have historically led to numerous espionage charges and subsequent executions within the Islamic Republic, with Iranian authorities frequently targeting individuals accused of collaborating with foreign intelligence agencies amid ongoing regional geopolitical conflicts.
