The chilling sound of the gallows is growing louder in Iran. In October alone, the clerical regime executed at least 285 people—a horrifying statistic that includes women and even a minor. To the casual observer, this brutal display might look like a demonstration of strength. But to those who understand Iran’s internal dynamics, this surge in state-sanctioned killing is not a sign of power; it is a desperate gambit by a regime teetering on the edge of its own legitimacy.
The root of this desperation lies in the unrelenting anger of the Iranian people. The nationwide uprisings of recent years have made it clear that the population is fed up—exhausted by decades of repression, suffocating poverty, systemic injustice, and the brazen corruption that has hollowed out state institutions. They watch their nation’s vast wealth, from oil revenues to natural resources, squandered on foreign warmongering and the regime’s nuclear and missile ambitions, while they struggle to afford basic necessities.
This deep societal discontent is mirrored by growing fractures within the ruling elite. In a stunning admission, former President Hassan Rouhani recently acknowledged that the current parliament holds the support of a mere 10% of the populace—a figure that confirms the opposition’s long-held analysis of the regime’s hollow legitimacy. The regime is fundamentally unstable, unable to arrest the free fall of the national economy or manage the chronic shortages of electricity, water, and gas that cripple daily life.
The shocking rise in executions has nothing to do with any judicial process. It is a political decision made by Khamenei himself. His goal is to prevent new uprisings and to delay the inevitable fall of the regime. pic.twitter.com/SwXf41rwdl
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) October 31, 2025
In this volatile environment, the executioner’s noose has become Khamenei’s primary tool of governance. Fearing that the embers of the last uprising could ignite a new, more powerful inferno, the regime has weaponized the death penalty to create a climate of terror. The goal is simple: intimidate the public and preempt future protests by demonstrating that the cost of dissent is death.
This strategy is particularly aimed at organized resistance. The regime is not merely targeting individual protesters; it is systematically sentencing political prisoners to death, often on charges of affiliation with the main opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). These are not trials; they are political assassinations sanctioned by a judiciary that functions as an arm of the security apparatus. Cases like that of Ehsan Faridi, a 22-year-old student whose appeal was reportedly rejected in under an hour, or Zahra Tabari, whose video-conference “trial” lasted a mere ten minutes, expose the utter sham of Iran’s justice system. Were this regime to adhere to even the most basic international standards of a fair trial, its very foundation would crumble.
Yet despite the terror, the spirit of defiance persists. For more than 94 weeks, prisoners in dozens of facilities have engaged in hunger strikes on “No to Execution Tuesdays.” On the streets, teachers, workers, and retirees bravely hold signs condemning the death penalty, sending a clear message to the authorities: “Do not try to scare us.”
Today, Oct 17, 2025 — 1,500 death-row prisoners in Unit 2 of Ghezel Hesar Prison are on their 5th day of a hunger strike to protest mass executions and demand justice. The regime, trapped in a deadly impasse — unable to stop the killings or contain public anger — has resorted to…
— Mohammad Mohaddessin (@Mohaddessin) October 17, 2025
The international community can no longer afford to be a bystander to this brutality. The time for quiet diplomacy has passed. World powers—particularly the European Union—must take decisive action. Iran’s egregious human-rights violations should be referred to the UN Security Council. The principle of universal jurisdiction should be invoked to hold the regime’s leaders accountable for crimes against humanity. And relentless pressure must be applied to grant international human-rights organizations immediate access to Iran’s prisons.
Ultimately, the events of the past year have proven that the three pillars of the clerical regime—domestic repression, foreign terrorism, and the pursuit of a nuclear bomb—will only be dismantled with the regime itself. When a government turns its prisons into killing fields, its people have an undeniable right to defend themselves and strive for a democratic future. Recognizing this fundamental right is not just a moral imperative; it is a strategic necessity for regional and global security. The rising number of executions is the death rattle of a dying tyranny. The world must choose to stand on the right side of history—with the people of Iran, not their oppressors.