Tehran, Iran – Iran’s judiciary has affirmed its commitment to taking “decisive” action against individuals it accuses of collaborating with foreign interests, as reports emerge of further executions and asset seizures.
According to a state television report aired late on Monday, judiciary and security authorities declared their intent to “act decisively against the enemies’ mercenaries without leniency until the very last one.”
This report followed hours after judicial authorities executed three men in the northeastern city of Mashhad. These individuals were arrested during nationwide protests in January, which top officials have characterized as a “coup” attempt orchestrated by the United States and Israel.
State media broadcast what it presented as confessions from these men, whom authorities identified as “agents” of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad and “leaders of riots.” The report detailed that the men engaged in acts against the government, including using knives and swords against paramilitary Basij forces and causing damage to public property.
An increasing number of prisoners have been executed in recent weeks, particularly since the onset of the US-Israel war on Iran on February 28. These executions are linked to the anti-establishment protests, during which thousands of people were killed amidst a state-imposed internet shutdown.
Last week in Isfahan, 21-year-old Sasan Azadvar was executed for “cooperation with the enemy.” The judiciary stated his acts included “attacking a minibus carrying security forces with stones and a club and breaking windows of public buses and private vehicles.”
Authorities maintain that while the judicial process for those arrested in connection with the protests has been significantly expedited, the proceedings remain legal, and executions are carried out only after receiving approval from Supreme Court judges.
Foreign-based human rights organizations and opponents of Iran’s government have asserted that prisoners are not afforded fair trials and that their families are coerced into silence regarding arrests and executions – claims that Iranian authorities reject.
A number of prisoners have also been executed following convictions for espionage on behalf of Israel and other national security offenses. Security offenses can lead to a conviction of moharebeh, or “waging war against God,” and other sentences carrying the death penalty.
Earlier this week, two men were hanged for allegedly transmitting images of military facilities to Mossad, attempting to recruit others for sabotage activities, and making fabricated calls to security authorities to divert them.
Multiple members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a foreign-based group designated as a “terrorist” organization by Iranian authorities, have also faced execution in recent weeks.
Foreign-based human rights organizations reported that Iranian authorities conducted the largest number of hangings in 2025 and 2026 since 1989, a year that saw numerous political dissidents and MEK members receive death sentences.
A report by Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty last month indicated that at least 1,639 executions were recorded in 2025, marking a 68 percent increase from the previous year.
The United Nations confirmed at the end of April that since the beginning of this year’s conflict, at least 21 individuals have been executed and over 4,000 arrested on national security-related charges. Iranian authorities have not commented on these figures.
Economic Measures
Iranian authorities have also confiscated the private assets of Iranians both inside and outside the country in response to perceived anti-establishment activities.
The latest such action was announced on Tuesday morning, when the judiciary reported that authorities in Semnan province, east of Tehran, had seized the assets of 22 “traitors to the nation and people who are linked with the Zionist regime [Israel] and hostile countries.”
Amidst the naval blockade imposed by the US, which has exacerbated Iran’s already dire economic conditions, authorities have also issued warnings against any disruptive measures, such as hoarding goods. They have threatened prison sentences of up to 20 years, lashings, and fines for anyone convicted.
Judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei further warned that those involved in hoarding, price gouging, or selling expired goods would face “decisive” legal action.
Prices surged across the country this week, particularly for food, medicine, cars, and electronic devices. Potentially challenging times lie ahead, with little indication of a lasting resolution to the conflict with the US and Israel despite an ongoing ceasefire.
“The current price levels are unacceptable. The price increases are due to the war tumult and sanctions,” stated Central Bank of Iran chief Abdolnasser Hemmati on Tuesday. “But the people should not be worried because their resistance is working and, God willing, victory will be achieved soon.”
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