RismadarVoice Reporters
November 8, 2026
Iranian authorities have executed three men convicted of carrying out alleged operations on behalf of Israel and the United States during anti-government protests that swept across the country in January.
The country’s judiciary announced on Sunday that Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi and Reza Zanganeh were executed after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld their death sentences.
According to the judiciary’s Mizan Online news agency, the men were convicted of participating in activities allegedly directed by foreign powers and groups considered hostile to Iran.
The judiciary accused them of using firearms, grenades, Molotov cocktails and bladed weapons during unrest in Karaj, a city west of Tehran.
Authorities also alleged that the defendants set fire to public facilities and damaged an electricity substation, causing power outages in parts of the city.
According to the judiciary, Divband was arrested on January 11 following investigations into attacks on public property and alleged incitement to violence.
Ten other individuals were subsequently arrested in connection with the case.
While the three principal defendants received death sentences and orders for the confiscation of their assets, other defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to 10 years.
The executions follow months of political unrest that began in December 2025 over rising living costs before developing into widespread demonstrations against the Iranian government.
The protests intensified on January 8 and 9, prompting a major security crackdown.
Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest, attributing much of the violence to what they described as foreign-backed terrorist activities.
However, international human rights organisations have disputed the government’s account, reporting higher casualty figures and accusing Iranian security forces of using lethal force against demonstrators.
The allegations of operational involvement by Israel and the United States in the three men’s activities have not been independently verified.
The executions also come amid heightened regional tensions following US and Israeli military strikes against Iran in late February.
Human rights organisations have raised concerns about the increasing use of capital punishment in Iran, particularly in cases involving political dissent and national security allegations.
The latest executions add to a series of death sentences carried out against individuals accused of involvement in the January demonstrations.
Iranian authorities maintain that those convicted participated in violent activities, while rights groups continue to question the fairness of proceedings in protest-related cases.
