Iranian Regime Executes Researcher without sufficient evidence; Questions Grow Over Ghalibaf Family’s Australian Property ties

11/05/2026

TEHRAN, May 11: According to Iran’s judiciary-linked Mizan news agency, Erfan Shakourzadeh was executed on Monday after being convicted of cooperating with the CIA and Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. Authorities accused him of passing classified scientific information to foreign intelligence services while working with an Iranian scientific organization.

Mizan claimed Shakourzadeh had contacted foreign intelligence operatives in three separate stages, including two allegedly linked to Mossad and one to the CIA. However, the report did not provide evidence to support the allegations.

Shakourzadeh was arrested by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2025 on charges of espionage and cooperation with hostile countries before later being sentenced to death.

In a separate development, Guardian Australia reported that Ghalibaf and members of his family had connections to a research center at the University of Melbourne.

The report said rental income from at least one Australian investment property was allegedly collected by Ghalibaf’s son, Eshagh Ghalibaf. It also claimed that Eshagh secured long-term Australian residency despite Canada twice rejecting his visa applications over concerns tied to the Iranian regime.

The revelations are expected to intensify scrutiny over Australia’s handling of sanctions involving current and former figures linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and their relatives.

Ghalibaf, a former Revolutionary Guards air force commander and ex-police chief, has not been sanctioned by Australia, unlike in Canada.