Iran pressed forward with executions and mass arrests this week, openly defying a warning from Donald Trump as protests spread across multiple cities and reports of widespread killings mounted. The crackdown, which includes the planned crane hanging of a young shopkeeper, has drawn condemnation from the United Nations and human-rights monitors and raised the risk of escalation between Tehran and Washington.
President Trump said the United States would respond if the executions continued. "If they hang protesters, we will act very strongly," he said, according to reporting by the Express, underscoring a threat that Iranian authorities appeared to dismiss within hours.
Iran's judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni‑Ejei, signaled that expedited trials and executions would proceed. "If we want to do a job, we should do it now," he said on state television, as reported by Al Arabiya, reinforcing fears of an accelerating campaign against dissent.
Among those facing imminent execution is 26-year-old shopkeeper Erfan Soltani, arrested at his home in Fardis after allegedly joining anti-government protests. Human-rights groups say he was denied legal representation and allowed just minutes with family members before being taken away, with authorities preparing to hang him by crane, a method long associated with Iran's public executions.
Eyewitness accounts from the northern city of Rasht described scenes of chaos and death. Residents reported "blood everywhere" as bodies were lined along pavements, while videos circulating online showed black body bags stacked in warehouses and hospitals overwhelmed by casualties. One resident said, "The smell of blood has filled the neighbourhoods."
Activist groups estimate the death toll since protests erupted in late December has climbed sharply. Human Rights Activists in Iran reported at least 2,571 confirmed deaths, while other estimates cited by CBS News put the number far higher, with sources claiming as many as 12,000 to 20,000 may have been killed.
The United Nations added its voice to the condemnation. U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said he was "horrified" by the violence and urged Tehran to halt executions and restore internet access. "The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop," he said in comments carried by UN News.
Iran Human Rights organizations warned that dozens of executions have already taken place inside prisons and described the situation as a "political massacre," cautioning that more detainees face imminent death. Analysts said the judiciary's posture suggests a deliberate effort to accelerate proceedings and suppress unrest through fear.
