Iran’s Execution Surge Exposes Regime’s Escalating Brutality and Global Fallout

By: Ariella Haviv

In August 2025, the Islamic Republic of Iran dramatically escalated its already notorious campaign of executions, killing at least 152 prisoners in a single month, according to data compiled by the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. The staggering figure represents a 70 percent increase compared to July’s tally and underscores what rights observers describe as a deliberate effort by Tehran to use the death penalty as a political weapon.’

The Algemeiner, citing human rights monitors in their report that appeared on Tuesday, has stressed that Iran’s execution apparatus has long been an instrument of repression, but the sheer volume recorded in August illustrates both the breadth of its reach and the deepening crisis for minorities, dissidents, and vulnerable populations under the regime’s grip.

According to the information provided by Hengaw, Iran executed 152 individuals in August, a spike from the 94 executions recorded in July. While most victims were accused of criminal offenses such as murder or drug trafficking, the pattern of charges reflects a regime deeply invested in wielding executions as a deterrent and political tool.

Among those executed was Roozbeh Vadi, accused of “espionage for Israel,” and Mehdi Asgharzadeh, allegedly affiliated with ISIS. The inclusion of both a purported Israeli spy and a jihadist militant highlights Tehran’s tendency to frame executions as acts of state defense, regardless of the dubiousness of the charges or the credibility of evidence.

At least five women were executed on murder charges and another woman was put to death for drug-related offenses. Notably, public executions occurred in the southern city of Beyram and the northern city of Kordkuy, where crowds — including children — were forced to watch.

The Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA), in a separate report, noted that August’s tally reflects a 40 percent increase over executions in June and July combined. By the end of August, Iran had executed 837 people in 2025, placing the year on track to surpass the 930 executions recorded in all of 2024.

HRANA’s breakdown of August executions reveals the spectrum of charges levied:

87 for drug offenses

60 for murder

Two for rape

One for “security offenses”

One for “corruption on earth” (mofsed-e fel-arz)

One unknown

The Koranic term “mofsed-e fel-arz” — literally “corruption on earth” — has long been wielded as a vague, catch-all charge. As The Algemeiner has frequently noted, it is regularly applied to political dissidents, religious converts, and alleged spies. In this way, the Islamic Republic cloaks political repression in pseudo-religious legitimacy.

Drug crimes, too, have become an expansive net for executions. Nearly half of Iran’s executions in the first half of 2025 were tied to narcotics charges, a trend highlighted by the Death Penalty Information Center. Analysts point out that impoverished minorities, particularly Kurds and Baluchis, are disproportionately targeted, reinforcing accusations of systemic ethnic discrimination.

A hallmark of Iran’s execution system is the use of forced confessions, which are then broadcast on state-run television. HRANA documented 28 such cases in 2024 and noted that in August 2025 alone, the confessions of Christian converts were aired as part of a wider campaign of intimidation.

“These spectacles are meant to humiliate the accused, frighten the public, and project the illusion of state omnipotence,” The Algemeiner report observed in its analysis of the regime’s tactics. The practice undermines even the pretense of due process and further delegitimizes the judicial process.

Equally chilling are the public executions, a practice the regime insists demonstrates justice but which human rights defenders say compounds trauma. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, warned last week that public hangings “not only destroy the dignity of the executed but also inflict lasting psychological harm on the communities forced to witness them, especially children.”

The campaign of repression does not end with death sentences. HRANA reported 73 arrests in August linked to the expression of political or religious views. Additionally, 27 citizens were sentenced to a cumulative 658 months in prison, 132 months of exile, and 130 lashes for speech-related offenses.

These measures, The Algemeiner report emphasized, illustrate how the regime’s tools of control extend beyond executions to a broad apparatus of intimidation aimed at silencing dissent at every level.

Iran’s mounting use of executions has not gone unnoticed globally. Shamdasani, speaking on behalf of the United Nations, stressed that the real number of executions may be even higher than documented, pointing to a “systematic pattern of using the death penalty as a tool of state intimidation.”

She warned that Tehran’s disproportionate targeting of ethnic minorities and migrants reflects both systemic discrimination and an effort to consolidate power amid domestic unrest and international isolation.

The Algemeiner has frequently drawn attention to how Iran’s escalating brutality coincides with political turmoil — not only the fallout from the Gaza war and conflict with Israel, but also domestic economic hardship and widespread public discontent. The surge in executions serves as a grim reminder of how regimes under pressure often resort to fear and violence to maintain control.

Adding to the drama, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that it had captured eight individuals allegedly working for Israel’s Mossad. Such claims — whether true or manufactured — dovetail with Tehran’s broader narrative of external enemies plotting against the Republic.

During Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in June, authorities reportedly arrested as many as 21,000 people, many accused of sympathizing with Israel or aiding foreign intelligence services. For Tehran, linking domestic repression to its conflict with the Jewish state provides both justification for its brutality and a propaganda tool to rally nationalist sentiment.

The international ramifications of Tehran’s actions have been immediate. On August 26, Australia expelled Iran’s ambassador, giving him seven days to leave the country. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese cited evidence that Tehran had orchestrated antisemitic terrorism targeting Australian Jews, calling the actions “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression on Australian soil.”

Mike Burgess, director general of Australia’s security agency, explained that Iran often uses intermediaries, including organized crime networks, to carry out such plots. The Algemeiner report highlighted this revelation as a chilling reminder that Tehran’s reach extends far beyond its borders, leveraging criminal cut-outs to target Jewish communities in the diaspora.

Even as international condemnation mounts, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has doubled down. Speaking on August 24, he accused the West of demanding Iran’s obedience to America, declaring: “The Iranian nation will stand with all of its power against those who have such erroneous expectations … People who ask us not to issue slogans against the US … to have direct negotiations with the US only see appearances … This issue is unsolvable.”

Khamenei’s remarks underscore the regime’s posture of defiance, framing executions and repression not as domestic issues but as part of a broader struggle against Western hegemony.

For Iran’s rulers, the death penalty has become more than punishment: it is a political instrument. By ramping up executions, staging public hangings, and broadcasting coerced confessions, the regime reinforces its aura of control while terrorizing its population into submission.

As The Algemeiner has repeatedly observed, this dynamic is not unique to Iran but emblematic of authoritarian regimes that weaponize law to suppress dissent. What sets Iran apart is the scale and brazenness with which it executes, often flouting international norms with impunity.

The surge of 152 executions in August is not an isolated data point but part of a broader arc of repression that threatens both Iran’s people and global security. With nearly 837 people executed so far in 2025, the Islamic Republic is on track to exceed last year’s staggering numbers.

International responses, such as Australia’s expulsion of Iran’s ambassador, highlight the diplomatic consequences of Tehran’s behavior. Yet, as The Algemeiner report emphasized, such measures remain insufficient in the face of a regime that openly wields death as a tool of governance.

For Iranians — especially minorities, dissidents, and religious converts — the consequences are devastatingly personal. For the international community, the lesson is stark: Iran’s execution surge is not only a human rights crisis but also a warning of the regime’s growing boldness on the world stage.