Two senior Iranian Supreme Court judges specializing in espionage and terrorism cases were fatally shot in Tehran on Saturday, as confirmed by Iran’s judiciary.
The attacker reportedly committed suicide after shooting the judges within the Supreme Court premises. Additionally, a bodyguard of one of the judges sustained injuries during the incident.
The judiciary identified the deceased judges as Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini, both mid-ranking Shi’ite Muslim clerics with extensive involvement in national security cases. The specific motive behind the assassination remains unclear, but judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir, speaking to state television, highlighted the judges’ long-standing roles in addressing espionage and terrorism.
Jahangir noted that the judiciary’s recent efforts to expose spies and terrorist networks have incited anger and retaliation from those identified as adversaries. State TV linked the cases handled by the slain judges to entities associated with Israel and the Iranian opposition, which reportedly receives support from the United States, though further details were not provided.
Historically, opposition groups have criticized Moghiseh’s role in what they term the trials of political prisoners. Additionally, Razini had previously survived an assassination attempt in 1998.
