Days after the US called off a military strike on Iran, the country’s semi-official media reported Saturday that Iran executed a “defense ministry contractor” convicted of spying for the CIA.
“The execution sentence was carried out for Jalal Haji Zavar, a contractor for the defense ministry’s aerospace organization who spied for the CIA and the American government,” the Iranian military said, according to a Saturday report from the Iranian Students News Agency.
It was unclear when Zavar was executed. His government contract was terminated in 2011 after Iran’s intelligence unit discovered “documents and espionage devices” at his home, ISNA reported, according to Al Jazeera.
During the investigation, he allegedly admitted to the spying. His ex-wife is also serving a 15-year jail sentence after she was convicted of “involvement espionage,” Al Jazeera reported.
News of the execution comes days after Iran downed a US drone that was flying in shared international airspace, according to American officials. President Trump tweeted Friday that he was “cocked and loaded” to retaliate, but called off a strike with minutes to spare.