World Powers Intensify Counter-Espionage Efforts with Arrests and Execution

Lead: Iran executed Babak Shahbazi for alleged Mossad espionage, Russia’s FSB detained an African resident for spying for Ukraine, and Latvia’s security service arrested a man accused of leaking NATO troop information to Moscow on September 17, 2025.

Nut Graf: These simultaneous actions underscore heightened global vigilance against foreign intelligence operations as tensions escalate across the Middle East and Europe.

Middle East: Iran Executes Alleged Mossad Agent

• Babak Shahbazi, an industrial cooling-system contractor, was hanged after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld his conviction for selling critical military and security data to Israel’s Mossad.
• Authorities cited Shahbazi’s access to sensitive data centers and encrypted communications with Mossad officers as central to the case’s evidence.

Europe: FSB Detains Suspected Ukrainian Informant

• Russia’s Federal Security Service arrested a North African man in Astrakhan, accusing him of gathering and transmitting details on military sites and infrastructure to Ukraine via messaging apps.
• The suspect faces espionage charges carrying a potential 20-year sentence amid Kremlin allegations of Ukrainian recruitment efforts within Russia.

Baltics: Latvian Security Service Holds Suspect for Russian Espionage

• Latvia’s State Security Service announced the arrest of a local citizen who allegedly shared layouts, troop locations and security protocols of Latvian and NATO forces with Russian intelligence.
• Authorities seized documents and digital devices during searches of four properties and launched a criminal investigation.

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