Iran executes detainee over January protests, judiciary says

Iran has executed ​a man detained during ​protests in January ‌for allegedly ​firing at police, the judiciary said on Saturday. The judiciary said ‌Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi fired at least three shots at police on January 8 and was arrested two days ‌later with a handgun in Shahrekord in southwestern ‌Iran.

It accused him of contacting people online to organise "anti-security" activities and seeking payment for a "mission", without identifying who was ⁠purported ​to ⁠be behind it. The protests erupted on December 28, 2025, over ⁠economic hardship and swelled into widespread demonstrations calling for the ​end of clerical rule in the Islamic Republic.

Iran ⁠blamed armed groups and operatives backed by the US ⁠and Israel ​for involvement in the protests and for some of the violence. Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai ⁠Eliyahu acknowledged during the protests that Israel had operatives inside ⁠Iran. ⁠He said they aimed to weaken Iran's capabilities, though he denied they were directly working ‌to ‌topple the leadership.

(dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com; Editing ​by Alison Williams)