Iran Executes Man Over ‘Mission’ for Israel’s Spy Agency

 A member of Iran's police special forces stands guard in Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP)
A member of Iran's police special forces stands guard in Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP)
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Iran Executes Man Over ‘Mission’ for Israel’s Spy Agency

 A member of Iran's police special forces stands guard in Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP)
A member of Iran's police special forces stands guard in Tehran, Iran, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP)

Iran on Saturday executed a man for carrying out a "mission" on behalf of Israel's spy agency during mass protests in January, the judiciary reported.

It is the latest in a string of executions since war broke out with Israel and the United States.

Erfan Kiani was hanged after his sentence was upheld by the country's Supreme Court, the judiciary's Mizan Online website said.

It described Kiani as one of the "main operatives" in a "mission assigned by Mossad" during unrest in the central Iranian province of Isfahan.

The judiciary accused him of "destruction of public and private property, arson, possession and use of Molotov cocktails, carrying a bladed weapon, blocking vehicle routes, attacking officers, and creating fear and panic among citizens".

His execution follows the hanging on Thursday of another man in Iran who was convicted of membership in a banned opposition group.

Iran has in recent weeks ramped up executions during its war with Israel and the United States that began on February 28.

Authorities say January's protests were instigated by Israel, the US and opposition groups, including the banned People's Mujahedin.

Since March 19, Iranian authorities have executed nine men on charges linked to the protests.

Iran is the world's second most prolific user of the death penalty after China, according to rights groups including Amnesty International.



US Fires Top Army General in Latest Ouster

A top US general has been removed from his role, according to a US magazine. Anna Moneymaker / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
A top US general has been removed from his role, according to a US magazine. Anna Moneymaker / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
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US Fires Top Army General in Latest Ouster

A top US general has been removed from his role, according to a US magazine. Anna Moneymaker / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File
A top US general has been removed from his role, according to a US magazine. Anna Moneymaker / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

The United States has fired its top military planner, The Atlantic reported Wednesday, in a surprise shake-up as President Donald Trump appears to be preparing to resume large-scale strikes against Iran.

Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia was removed this week from his role as head of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the magazine reported, citing unidentified defense department officials.

Sylvia's ouster would be the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the military since Trump returned to power a year ago.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said last month that the United States has slashed the number of its generals and admirals by 20 percent, in a move he said is aimed at "accountability."

He suggested the cuts targeted officers who failed to get on board with his efforts to ensure the military is focused on war-fighting rather than the "woke" policies of previous administrations, describing the reductions as an "accomplishment."

No reason was given for Sylvia's departure and no replacement has been named, The Atlantic said.

AFP has contacted the Pentagon for comment.

The reported sacking comes as Trump is widely considered to be weighing fresh strikes against Iran after the US midterm elections on November 3.

"We may do another little Epic Fury," Trump said last week, referring to US-Israeli attacks on Tehran in February that triggered the war.

He did not give any indication on timing.

Neither the United States nor Iran has engaged in major attacks on land-based targets since early September, settling instead into a pattern of strikes on commercial ships.

Sylvia's previous roles included leading the 101st Airborne Division -- the US army's air assault division -- and heading a unit in Iraq.

 


Oxygen Cylinder Explodes Inside Ambulance, Killing at Least 10 in Pakistan

File photo: An ambulance carries the injured to the hospital, after a blast in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan July 30, 2023. Rescue 1122/Handout via REUTERS
File photo: An ambulance carries the injured to the hospital, after a blast in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan July 30, 2023. Rescue 1122/Handout via REUTERS
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Oxygen Cylinder Explodes Inside Ambulance, Killing at Least 10 in Pakistan

File photo: An ambulance carries the injured to the hospital, after a blast in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan July 30, 2023. Rescue 1122/Handout via REUTERS
File photo: An ambulance carries the injured to the hospital, after a blast in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan July 30, 2023. Rescue 1122/Handout via REUTERS

An oxygen cylinder exploded inside a parked ambulance at a government-run medical facility in southern Pakistan, killing at least 10 people, including a patient of the facility, police and hospital officials said Thursday.

The blast occurred overnight in Tharparkar district in the Sindh province, said district Police Chief Arif Aziz.

He said the victims included staff at the medical facility, patients, and their relatives.

Local police official Khalil Abro said patients were being transferred to another hospital when the explosion occurred. Images on social media and on television stations showed flames engulfing a vehicle, with one door open. Another image showed its blackened frame outside a building as people stood nearby.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the deaths and called for a prompt, transparent investigation to determine the cause, according to a statement from his office.

He also urged authorities to strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents, offered condolences to the victims’ families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

In August, a fire triggered by an exploding air conditioner killed 14 newborns in a nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. The only baby rescued from the nursery died weeks later, bringing the death toll to 15.


Putin Hails Elon Musk as 'Truly a Genius'

Putin's comments came amid tensions between the United States and Ukraine. Pavel Bednyakov / POOL/AFP
Putin's comments came amid tensions between the United States and Ukraine. Pavel Bednyakov / POOL/AFP
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Putin Hails Elon Musk as 'Truly a Genius'

Putin's comments came amid tensions between the United States and Ukraine. Pavel Bednyakov / POOL/AFP
Putin's comments came amid tensions between the United States and Ukraine. Pavel Bednyakov / POOL/AFP

US tech tycoon Elon Musk is "truly a genius" for deploying thousands of satellites into orbit, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday, as Moscow seeks to develop its own satellite internet network.

The American tech titan is the owner of SpaceX, that launches rockets for NASA and runs the Starlink communications network, AFP said.

Russia, a spacefaring power, has long sought to develop its own satellite internet constellation for both civilian and military use.

Putin's comments come amid a spat between Ukraine and the United States over access to Starshield, a military-grade satellite network powered by Musk's SpaceX.

"Elon Musk is a genius, truly a genius," Putin said while touring an exhibition on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit in Moscow.

"He has how many units in orbit...? More than 5,000. And we're taking our first steps," he added.

"We are in close contact with our American partners, including Mr. Musk, because it is crucial in orbit not to interfere with one another."

Ukraine began reporting problems using Starshield this month, following a row between Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump over a US-Russia diesel deal.

Both Trump and Musk denied being responsible for the outages, although Musk later accused Ukraine of misusing SpaceX's Starlink internet service for military purposes.

Ukraine says the outages have frustrated its efforts to intercept Russian drones and has slowed its logistics on the front line, as the Ukraine-Russia conflict grinds through its fifth year.