 "The executions come against the backdrop of Iran's ongoing war with the United States and Israel, which began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28 that killed the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Photo: File/AP")
Iran on Saturday executed two individuals for their alleged links with the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), a banned organisation in Tehran, which is often accused by the Iranian authorities of being involved in terrorism-related activities.
The individuals were identified as Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian, by the news agency AFP.
According to the judiciary’s Mizan Online website, the men were found guilty of attempting “rebellion through involvement in multiple terrorist acts”, as well as membership in the MEK group and carrying out acts of sabotage aimed at overthrowing the Islamic republic.
The MEK confirmed the executions, saying the men had been arrested in January 2024 and had their death sentences upheld in December 2025, Reuters reported.
String of executions
Saturday’s hangings are the latest in a rapid succession of executions targeting MEK members and others deemed enemies of the state.
Four other MEK-linked persons were executed earlier this week. On Thursday, authorities hanged a man convicted of acting on behalf of Israel and the United States during a wave of anti-government protests earlier this year.
On March 19, three others convicted of killing police officers during the same protests were executed. Also in March, Iran executed Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national, on charges of spying for Israel, drawing condemnation from Stockholm and the European Union.
War shadows executions
The executions come against the backdrop of Iran’s ongoing war with the United States and Israel, which began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28 that killed the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini, and have since triggered a wider regional conflict.
The MEK, which initially supported the 1979 Islamic revolution before falling out with the leadership in the 1980s, has since operated in exile and is designated a terrorist organisation by Tehran. In a statement on Saturday, the group accused Iran’s government of “trying to hide its weakness by executing political prisoners, especially PMOI members and supporters.”
No room for dissent
Earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that the internal traitors of the country would not be spared , and they would face a blow stronger than the January 8 crackdown.
Tehran’s state officials have often threatened the protestors and traitors to shoot them. “Once the dust from all this sedition settles, we will grab you by the collar, one by one. We will make your mothers mourn for you,” one of the state TV anchors said.
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View AllThe state authorities have also warned the Iranian diaspora of not falling into enemy’s trap. Warning the diaspora for sharing critical views against the country, the Judiciary warned them of confiscating their property.