TEHRAN — Two senior judges on Iran’s Supreme Court, known for their work on cases involving espionage and terrorism, were shot and killed on Saturday in Tehran, according to the Iranian judiciary.
The judiciary reported that the attacker opened fire inside the Supreme Court building, wounding a bodyguard before turning the gun on himself. The judges were identified as Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini, both mid-ranking Shiite Muslim clerics.
While the motive for the killings remains unclear, judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir told state television that both judges had handled sensitive “national security cases,” including those involving allegations of espionage and terrorism.
“In the past year, the judiciary has undertaken extensive efforts to identify spies and terrorist groups,” Mr. Jahangir said, adding that these efforts had “sparked anger and resentment among the enemies.”
Iranian state television suggested that the cases overseen by the judges were linked to individuals associated with Israel and Iranian opposition groups supported by the United States, though it provided no further details.
Mr. Moghiseh was reportedly involved in trials of individuals described by opposition groups as political prisoners. Mr. Razini, who survived an assassination attempt in 1998, was a prominent figure in the judiciary.
The killings come at a time of heightened tensions in Iran, with the government increasingly cracking down on dissent and accusing foreign adversaries of fueling instability within the country.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
