The execution of Alireza Akbari, a British-Iranian dual national who previously served as a deputy defence minister in Iran, comes amid local unrest and is likely to preface a renewed period of rapidly rising tensions with the West.
Iran’s announcement of the ex-official’s hanging on Saturday, after he was convicted of spying for British intelligence services, could be a precursor to significant changes in how Tehran and the West manage their relations and has bred speculation that more potential changes are coming within the Iranian establishment.
