Iran has executed two of its citizens, Omid Behzad and Pouria Safvat, on charges of espionage and cooperation with Israel.
The Iranian judiciary stated that Behzad and Safvat were found guilty of providing Mossad officers with photographs, coordinates, and information concerning Iranian security and military sites.
The two men were accused of providing intelligence during the most recent hostilities and during a brief conflict last summer.
Diplomatic tensions and strike reports
The executions occur amid the ongoing conflict. The current conflict reportedly followed a period of pressure regarding Iran's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes, as well as the response to widespread unrest in January that reportedly resulted in the deaths of thousands of protesters.
United States President Donald Trump stated that talks with Iran were scheduled for Monday amidst the ongoing conflict. On his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had requested time to finalize a deal to end Iran's nuclear threat and allow the 'Immediate, Complete and Total' reopening of the strait, noting that Tehran must 'rapidly make a DEAL.'
Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, denied Donald Trump's claim regarding the talks, stating that Tehran is not currently holding any discussions with Washington.
Baghaei said that Tehran is in discussions with Oman regarding the security of a temporary safe route through the Strait of Hormuz, but added that an agreement with Oman would not be sufficient to reopen the strait while US 'aggression' continues.
Conflict timeline
The current conflict began in late February with reportedly strikes from Israel and the United States. This follows a reportedly 12-day conflict in mid-June last year involving an Israeli air campaign and later the United States, which ended with a ceasefire brokered by the US. A reportedly fragile truce agreement in June had paused major conflict.
