Two senior judges of the Iranian Supreme Court were shot dead in Tehran on Saturday, the Iranian judiciary confirmed.
The attack occurred inside the Supreme Court, where the attacker opened fire before killing himself.
A bodyguard of one of the judges was also injured during the attack.
The judiciary identified the victims as Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini, both mid-ranking Shiite Muslim clerics.
These judges have been heavily involved in handling sensitive national security cases, including those related to espionage and terrorism.
Although the motive for the killings remains unclear, judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir suggested the killings could be linked to the work of judges.
He noted that the two countries had long been engaged in efforts to combat espionage and terrorism, which had led to tensions with external adversaries.
“Over the past year, the judiciary has made considerable efforts to identify spies and terrorist groups, which has sparked anger and resentment among enemies,” Jahangir told state television.
State television reports said the cases the judges worked on involved individuals linked to Israel and the U.S.-backed Iranian opposition, but did not provide further details.
Opposition websites have previously claimed that Moghiseh was involved in the prosecution of political prisoners, a point that has not been confirmed by official sources.
Razini was the target of an assassination attempt in 1998.
