Iran Executes Two Men Convicted of Spying for Israel

People shop in a local market in Tehran, Iran, April 28, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
People shop in a local market in Tehran, Iran, April 28, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
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Iran Executes Two Men Convicted of Spying for Israel

People shop in a local market in Tehran, Iran, April 28, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
People shop in a local market in Tehran, Iran, April 28, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

Iran hanged two men on Saturday convicted of spying for Israel, the judiciary said, the latest in a string of executions in recent weeks.

"Yaghoub Karimpour and Nasser Bekrzadeh were hanged for the crime of intelligence cooperation and espionage in favor of the Zionist regime," the judiciary's Mizan Online website said.

It was not immediately clear when the two men were arrested.

Mizan said Karimpour was convicted of the capital offence of "moharebeh," or waging war against God, over "filming and photographing security and military locations and sending them to a Mossad officer during the imposed war," referring to Iran's 12-day war with Israel in June 2025.

It added that Bekrzadeh cooperated with Israel's spy agency, Mossad, by sending information on "religious and provincial figures, as well as important centers such as the Natanz area," home to a key nuclear site.

Mizan did not specify whether Bekrzadeh's activities took place during wartime.

On February 28, Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, triggering another war that engulfed the Middle East but has been paused since April 8 under a fragile ceasefire.

Iran has in recent weeks carried out multiple executions of people linked to mass protests in January, which authorities say were instigated by Israel, the United States and opposition groups, including the banned People's Mujahedin organization.

On Thursday, Iran said it hanged a man, identified as Sasan Azadvar, who was convicted of acting on behalf of such groups by "attacking police officers" in the central province of Isfahan during the pre-war protests.

The demonstrations began in late December over rising living costs before spreading nationwide and evolving into anti-government protests that peaked on January 8 and 9.

Iranian authorities said the rallies began peacefully before turning into "foreign-instigated riots" involving killings and vandalism.



Russia Says Downed 419 Ukrainian Drones

A woman walks past Russian security personnel standing guard in central Moscow, Russia June 29, 2026. (Reuters)
A woman walks past Russian security personnel standing guard in central Moscow, Russia June 29, 2026. (Reuters)
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Russia Says Downed 419 Ukrainian Drones

A woman walks past Russian security personnel standing guard in central Moscow, Russia June 29, 2026. (Reuters)
A woman walks past Russian security personnel standing guard in central Moscow, Russia June 29, 2026. (Reuters)

Russia shot down 419 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

Kyiv has stepped up its long-range drone strike campaign against Russia in recent months, particularly against energy infrastructure to target a vital source of the Kremlin's revenue to fund its war effort, now in its fifth year.

Air defense systems "intercepted and destroyed 419 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles" around the country, the defense ministry posted on the state-run Max platform.

It did not say if there were any deaths or injuries.

Moscow's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said earlier that air defense forces had shot down 50 "enemy drones" overnight headed for the capital.

The swarm came days after Russia shot down 660 Ukrainian drones between Thursday and Friday, one of the highest figures since the start of the conflict.

A Ukrainian attack also caused a fire last week at a refinery in the southeast of Moscow.


Two Revolutionary Guards Killed in Attack by Unknown Gunmen in Western Iran

A handout photo made available by Sepahnews shows members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a military drill around the capital city of Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2026.  (EPA/Handout)
A handout photo made available by Sepahnews shows members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a military drill around the capital city of Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2026. (EPA/Handout)
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Two Revolutionary Guards Killed in Attack by Unknown Gunmen in Western Iran

A handout photo made available by Sepahnews shows members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a military drill around the capital city of Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2026.  (EPA/Handout)
A handout photo made available by Sepahnews shows members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a military drill around the capital city of Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2026. (EPA/Handout)

Two members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards were killed and two ‌others wounded ‌in what the ‌Guards ⁠described as a "terrorist" ⁠shooting in the western province of ⁠Kermanshah on ‌Monday ‌evening, state ‌media ‌reported on Tuesday.

The attackers opened fire outside ‌the Guards members' home and ⁠authorities ⁠were investigating to identify those responsible, state media reported.


Satellite Data: Over 58,000 Buildings Likely Damaged or Destroyed in Venezuela

Rescue workers search for survivors among the rubble following two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, Venezuela, 29 June 2026. EPA/Henry Chirinos
Rescue workers search for survivors among the rubble following two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, Venezuela, 29 June 2026. EPA/Henry Chirinos
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Satellite Data: Over 58,000 Buildings Likely Damaged or Destroyed in Venezuela

Rescue workers search for survivors among the rubble following two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, Venezuela, 29 June 2026. EPA/Henry Chirinos
Rescue workers search for survivors among the rubble following two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, Venezuela, 29 June 2026. EPA/Henry Chirinos

The powerful twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week damaged or destroyed more than 58,000 buildings, according to a preliminary assessment of satellite data published by US space agency NASA.

Some 1,700 people were killed and thousands remain missing following the quakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 -- the strongest to hit the South American nation in more than a century.

"Approximately 58,870 buildings were likely damaged or destroyed across the affected region" based on satellite radar data gathered on June 25, the day after the earthquakes, according to researchers Corey Scher and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University.

The duo were citing data from the European Space Agency's high-resolution radar imagery satellite Sentinel-1, AFP reported.

"This is a preliminary, rapid assessment. It reflects abrupt surface change consistent with damage," the researchers wrote, adding that the figure should only be read as an indicator and was not verified on the ground.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez reported on Monday that 855 buildings have been damaged, including 189 "total collapses."

NASA said that its satellites were "providing critical support, capturing imagery and data to help teams on the ground assess impacts and guide response efforts."