Iran executes three over alleged operations for Israel, US during protests

Iran has executed three men for alleged operations against Israel and the United States during anti-government protests in January, according to the country's judiciary. The three men, Hassan Divband, Hamid Kazemi, and Reza Zanganeh, were found guilty of participating in violent activities, including throwing Molotov cocktails and using firearms, during the protests in Karaj, west of Tehran.

Other defendants received sentences ranging from five to 10 years in prison. The protests, initially sparked by the high cost of living in December, escalated into widespread anti-government demonstrations that peaked on January 8 and 9. Iranian authorities reported over 3,000 deaths, attributing the violence to terrorist acts orchestrated by the US and Israel, while foreign-based NGOs have cited higher figures and maintain that Iranian security forces fired on protesters.

The number of executions in Iran has increased since the start of the Middle East war, triggered by US-Israeli strikes in late February.

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