Shopkeepers and traders protest in the streets against the economic situation and the struggling Iranian currency, in January 2026 in Tehran. AFP/Getty Images
A man convicted of collaborating with Israeli intelligence services during major protests in Iran in January was executed on Saturday, Iran's judiciary announced.
Executions have increased in the country since the outbreak of war triggered by a U.S.-Israeli attack on Feb. 28.
Erfan Kiani was hanged after a process upheld by the supreme court, the judiciary's Mizan Online website reported.
The website described him as one of the "main protagonists" involved in a "mission assigned by Mossad" during the protests that shook Isfahan province in the center of the country.
He was prosecuted for "destruction of public and private property, arson, possession and use of Molotov cocktails, carrying a bladed weapon [machete], blocking roads, assault on officers, and spreading fear among citizens."
His execution brings to nine the number of people executed in the country since March 19 for reasons related to the January protests.
Iranian authorities said the protests began peacefully before turning into "riots fomented from abroad."
The government acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths in the protests but blamed the violence on "terrorist acts" orchestrated by the United States and Israel.
According to some NGOs, including Amnesty International, Iran is the country that uses the death penalty most after China.
