Sweden Condemns Iran for Executing Citizen Over Alleged Israeli Espionage
Tarai 24 International Desk, March 18, 2026 — In a major diplomatic escalation amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Sweden has confirmed that Iran executed one of its citizens on Wednesday.
The execution is the first to be officially announced by Iranian authorities involving a man convicted of espionage since the massive regional war erupted following US and Israeli strikes on February 28.
Arrested During the “12-Day War”
According to Iran’s judiciary news agency, Mizan Online, the executed man was identified as Kouroush Keyvani. Keyvani, who reportedly obtained Swedish citizenship in 2019, was arrested in June of last year during Iran’s previous 12-day conflict with Israel.
Iranian authorities alleged that Keyvani was actively spying for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. The judiciary’s report claimed he had held meetings with Mossad operatives and received specialized espionage training in “six European countries and in Tel Aviv.”
Sweden’s Failed Interventions
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard addressed the media, confirming that the Swedish government was informed late Tuesday that the death sentence was imminent.
“We immediately contacted Tehran, of course, and I tried to arrange a meeting with my counterpart to ask him to immediately suspend the execution, but unfortunately, he was unavailable,” Stenergard told reporters. She expressed profound “dismay” that the execution was carried out, stating firmly, “It is obvious to us that the legal process which led to the execution of the Swedish citizen was not conducted in accordance with the rule of law.”
Since Keyvani’s arrest, Sweden made several attempts to secure consular access to him. However, Iran—which does not officially recognize dual nationality—refused the requests, arguing that they did not consider Keyvani a Swedish citizen.
A Spate of Espionage Arrests
The execution of the Swedish national marks a chilling development as the current conflict intensifies. The NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) warned that this could be the beginning of a broader crackdown. According to the organization, Iran has already hanged at least two other individuals for espionage convictions earlier this year.
In recent days, Iranian authorities have ramped up their domestic security operations. On Sunday, Iran’s police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan stated that 500 people had been arrested under suspicion of espionage and “passing information to the enemy.”
Human rights groups are now raising massive concerns regarding the fate of other foreign and dual nationals held in Iranian prisons, including Ahmadreza Djalali, another Swedish-Iranian who has been imprisoned for nearly a decade on similar Mossad collaboration charges.
