Executions in Alikhani Square draw condemnation as citizens attempt to halt hangings; Israeli officials signal continued appetite for strikes on Iran despite US restraint
Iran executed two men convicted over their roles in the January 2026 nationwide protests early on Tuesday, hanging them in Isfahan's Alikhani Square after crowds of citizens gathered overnight in an unsuccessful attempt to halt the executions, according to Iran International.
The outlet reported that judiciary-linked Mizan Online identified the two as Amirhossein Safari Hosseinabadi and Abolfazl Sepahi Badjani, part of a group of twelve men sentenced to death in the so-called Alikhani Square case, which stemmed from unrest that erupted in the square on 8 January. Two other defendants in the same case, Golmohammad Mohammadi and Erfan Esfandiari, were executed on 19 July, bringing the total number of executions linked to the case to four, with eight defendants still under sentence of death.
According to Iran International, witnesses described Alikhani Square as under heavy security throughout Monday night after an iron scaffold was erected at the site, a sight that fuelled fears among residents that further public executions were imminent. The outlet said a source close to Safari's family reported that relatives had been summoned to Isfahan Central Prison for what they believed would be a final visit before the sentence was carried out, though it noted it could not independently verify accounts of clashes between security forces and crowds gathered near the square.
Video circulated to Iran International showed relatives of one of the detainees in visible distress as the sentence was carried out, while separate footage appeared to capture the moment of one execution coinciding with the dawn call to prayer. The outlet also aired reports that security personnel used tear gas, stun weapons and pellet rounds to disperse citizens who had gathered near the square in an attempt to prevent the hangings from proceeding.
Domestic Backlash and Diaspora Protests
The executions triggered a wave of condemnation among Iranian citizens and social media users, with many, according to Iran International, describing the government's action as "barbaric" and a "crime against humanity." The outlet reported that citizens sent messages describing continued repression and detailing their accounts of the crackdown at the execution site.
Separately, Iran International reported that Iranian residents of London gathered outside the Islamic Republic's embassy on Tuesday to protest the executions, part of broader diaspora mobilisation against the wartime wave of capital punishment. Commentary carried by the outlet framed the public hangings as a deliberate instrument of deterrence: analyst Foroogh Kanani was quoted as saying the government pursues two goals through such measures — instilling fear to suppress dissent, and exploiting the international community's inaction and the muted response of parts of the exiled opposition to act without cost.
Political Context: Officials Signal No Retreat
The executions came as senior Iranian officials struck a defiant tone regarding the country's confrontation with the United States and Israel. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Tuesday that the Islamic Republic was "not seeking war or conflict" but would "defend itself well" if war were imposed on it, adding that Washington and Tel Aviv had failed to achieve their objectives. He said sanctions and blockade would not intimidate Iranians, arguing such measures ultimately rebound on those who impose them.
Ali Keshvari, deputy head of parliament's Article 90 Commission, said the armed forces' response to any threat or aggression must be "several times greater," adding that leniency toward an adversary only invites further threats. He dismissed statements by US President Donald Trump against the Islamic Republic as inconsistent with reality and intended purely to intimidate.
Israeli Officials Press for Wider Strikes
On the Israeli side, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz told Channel 14's security conference that Israel was "very keen" to strike Iranian energy targets but that the United States, which he said has interests in Iran extending beyond Israel's own, had not given its approval. Katz added that Iranian officials were aware that American jets used against Iran would take off from Israeli territory, and said Israel remained prepared to strike Iran "with our own capabilities" if fired upon.
Katz further asserted that what he called the "arrogant empire" that had threatened Israel's destruction had been broken, and said President Trump understood Israel would not withdraw from buffer zones in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett separately argued that instead of continuing to confront Hezbollah and Hamas — which he described as the "tentacles of the octopus" — Israel should strike at the head of the octopus in Tehran.
Regional Spillover
Jordan's army said it shot down a drone that entered its airspace over the eastern desert before dawn on Tuesday, underscoring the risk of regional spillover from the escalating confrontation. Meanwhile, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said Tuesday that wartime strikes had cost Iran 230 million cubic metres of natural gas production capacity, an indication of the economic toll the conflict is exacting on the country's energy infrastructure.