ChatGPT said:
More than 1,000 people have been executed in Iran in the first nine months of 2025, according to a report by the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights. The group revealed that 404 of those executions occurred after the war between Iran and Israel broke out in June, representing a 40 per cent increase since the conflict began and marking the highest surge in two decades. “Never before have executions surpassed 1,000 in such a short period,” Hengaw stated in its press release. By the end of August, the United Nations had already documented 841 executions since January, highlighting a sharp rise compared to previous years. For context, Iran recorded at least 975 executions in 2024, suggesting that the 2025 total could reach the highest level in decades.
Rights organisations have long condemned Iran’s extensive use of the death penalty, accusing authorities of deploying executions as a tool to intimidate dissent. Tensions escalated further following the 12-day war in June, during which Israeli and U.S. forces bombed key Iranian nuclear and military facilities. Activists report that at least eight men accused of spying have been executed since the conflict ended.