Iran’s judiciary has confirmed the execution of two men convicted over their involvement in anti government protests that escalated across the country earlier this year.
The men, identified as Erfan Esfandiari and Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, were executed on Sunday after being found guilty of carrying out a deadly attack on police officers during the unrest in the central city of Isfahan.
According to the judiciary, the pair tied police officers to a roadside sign with ropes before attacking them with stones, pouring gasoline on them and setting them on fire. Authorities also alleged that they recorded the incident and later shared the footage with television stations outside Iran.
Officials did not disclose the ages of the two men or provide details about when they were arrested or brought to trial.
The protests began in late December as demonstrations over rising living costs before expanding into wider anti government rallies. The unrest reached its peak on January 8 and 9, drawing nationwide attention.
Iranian authorities said more than 3,000 people lost their lives during the period of violence, blaming what they described as terrorist activities backed by the United States and Israel. However, foreign based human rights organisations have maintained that many protesters were killed by Iranian security forces.
During the crisis, United States President Donald Trump warned of possible military action against Iran. That tension later intensified when the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against the country on February 28, an event that marked the beginning of the current Middle East conflict.
Since then, Iran has carried out a growing number of arrests and executions linked to both the anti government protests and the ongoing conflict.
Human rights organisations Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty reported that Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, the highest annual figure recorded in the country since 1989.
Amnesty International has also consistently ranked Iran as the country with the second highest number of executions in the world, behind China.
