Iran’s regime executed Rouzbeh Vadi, one of the country’s top nuclear scientists, on Wednesday, following allegations of espionage and cooperation with Israel’s Mossad. The execution follows a series of targeted assassinations and military operations by Israel and the United States aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities.
Vadi’s death marks the seventh known killing of Iranian nuclear scientists this summer. The Iranian state confirmed these events began with “Operation Rising Lion,” launched by Israel in June to neutralize Iran’s key nuclear infrastructure. The campaign led to the deaths of multiple high-level Iranian nuclear and military figures and triggered targeted airstrikes by the U.S. on facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
Iran’s Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) released videos of Vadi confessing to passing sensitive data to Mossad. Vadi reportedly disclosed critical details regarding the Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) and the Fuel Manufacturing Plant (FMP), both linked to uranium enrichment. Reuters translated Vadi as saying, “The entry and exit of nuclear material into the Uranium Conversion Facility and Fuel Manufacturing Plant were very important to them.”
Independent outlet Iran International reported that Vadi had been recruited online by Mossad and later met with agents in Vienna. At the time of his arrest, Vadi worked at the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute under the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the agency responsible for the regime’s nuclear program.
Human rights groups, including Iran Human Rights, raised concerns about the integrity of Vadi’s trial. The organization stated that Vadi had been in custody for 18 months before his execution and listed him among dozens of political prisoners and espionage suspects facing death. Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam accused Tehran of using the ongoing conflict to justify political executions without fair legal processes.
Tasnim, a government-affiliated Iranian outlet, confirmed Vadi’s execution but refrained from identifying him as a scientist. “The Mossad spy, Ruzbeh Vadi, was hanged on Wednesday morning after being convicted of connection with the Zionist regime’s espionage agency,” the report stated.
Operation Rising Lion commenced after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution condemning Iran’s illicit nuclear activities. The IAEA accused Iran of blocking inspections and sanitizing illegal research sites. In response, President Donald Trump authorized airstrikes on Iran’s key enrichment locations.
Top figures eliminated in the operation included IRGC nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and Mohamed Mehdi Tehranchi, as well as IRGC Commander Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, known for threatening Israel with genocide.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff emphasized that dismantling Iran’s nuclear program was non-negotiable in any new agreement. “An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That’s our red line,” Witkoff told Breitbart News.
On July 21, President Trump confirmed the success of the military campaign in a national address. “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,” he stated.
