Iran executes man who allegedly rammed cops ‘in support of the Zionist regime’

Iran’s judiciary announced the execution on Sunday of a man who was convicted of running over several police officers with his car during anti-government protests in January.

“Shahram Sadeghi, sentenced to death for having carried out an operational action in support of the Zionist regime and the United States, was executed this morning,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said.

It added that the man had run over several police officers with his car on January 8 in Karaj, west of Tehran, wounding seven of them.

Iran frequently accuses individuals of spying for Israel and the US, without providing evidence.

A protest movement initially sparked in late December by the high cost of living rapidly evolved into widespread anti-government demonstrations that peaked on January 8 and 9.

They were brutally repressed by the regime, which used deadly force against the masses. Deaths have been estimated in the thousands and even tens of thousands.

The number of executions in Iran has risen since the start of the war that broke out on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes against Iran.

A large number of the executions have been linked to the protests.

I am sorry, Shahram. Until they hanged you this morning, I didn’t know your name. I didn’t even have your photo.

That is exactly what the Islamic Republic wanted.

This is Shahram Sadeghi. A young protester from the January uprising. Arrested. Tortured. Hanged at dawn, after the… pic.twitter.com/vxlRxLj41g

— Masih Alinejad (@AlinejadMasih) August 16, 2026

The authorities executed at least 1,639 people last year, a record high since 1989, according to Iran Human Rights, an organization based in Norway, and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), which is headquartered in Paris.

According to Amnesty International, Iran conducts the second most executions of any country, after China.