Iran executes defendant accused of cooperating with Israel

Iran's judiciary announced on Wednesday the execution by hanging of Ali Sina Mostafavi, after he was convicted of carrying out armed attacks during the war with Israel and the United States and of communicating with entities Tehran describes as hostile. It said Mostafavi carried out several armed attacks in the city of Kerman, southeastern Iran, injuring a number of residents, and that he was convicted of 'moharebeh' and communicating with Israel-linked media, in addition to being accused of links to the movement led by Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's former shah. The statement did not specify the date of Mostafavi's arrest or execution, amid an escalation in executions linked to the war that erupted after the joint US-Israeli attack on February 28. According to Iran Human Rights and Together Against the Death Penalty, Iran carried out at least 1,639 executions during 2025, the highest annual toll since 1989, while Amnesty International classifies Iran among the countries that carry out the most executions in the world, after China.