Iran Executes Two Men Over January Anti-Government Protests

RFE
01 Jun 2026, 12:40 GMT+10

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10:20

Iran Executes Two Men Over January Anti-Government Protests

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RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Iran says it has executed two men accused of setting fire to a mosque, destroying public property, and blocking streets during nation-wide antigovernment protests that took place in December and January before security forces brutally cracked down on the unrest, killing thousands in the process.

The country's judiciary news agency, Mizan, identified the executed protesters as Mehrdad Mohammadinia and Ashkan Maleki. According to Mizan, the two protesters were among the main perpetrators of an arson attack on the Jafari Mosque in Tehran's Gisha neighborhood.

The agency claimed that they had deliberately damaged and set fire to the mosque, destroyed public property, clashed with law enforcement officers and security personnel, blocked streets, and obstructed the movement of people.

Initial reports published by Mizan and other Iranian news agencies did not provide details about the circumstances of their arrests or the trial process.

Mizan said the death sentences of the two were upheld by the Supreme Court before being carried out on the morning of June 1.

According to the Oslo-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, which closely monitors human rights violations in Iran, the executed men were "two Kurdish political prisoners."

Hengaw said the executions were carried out in secret and that the two prisoners were denied a final meeting with their families before their deaths.

The authorities killed at least 7,000 people in January as they crushed mass protests calling for an end to clerical rule, according to human rights groups, although the real death toll is believed to be significantly higher.

The weekslong demonstrations erupted in late December 2025 over economic grievances but soon snowballed into the biggest threat to the Islamic republic in years.

Hundreds of political prisoners and citizens detained during the protests are still being held in Iranian prisons on political and security-related charges.

Human rights activists have warned that many of them are at risk of receiving death sentences, having their sentences upheld, or being executed.

According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and the Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM), at least 1,639 people were executed in 2025, including 48 women -- giving Iran one of the highest execution rates in the world.

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09:08

Rubio Holds Talks With Israeli And Lebanese Leaders As US Seeks De-escalation Amid Iran Talks

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RFE/RL

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with both Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of US diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions between Israel and Lebanon, a US official said on May 31.

As part of those efforts, according to the official who spoke on background, Washington has proposed a "clear sequence" toward de-escalation: "Hezbollah must stop all attacks on Israel. In return, Israel would refrain from escalating its operations in Beirut. This would create space for a gradual de-escalation and an effective cessation of hostilities."

The official said Hezbollah is acting in line with Iranian interests rather than those of the Lebanese people, adding that Tehran seeks to prolong instability in Lebanon so that it can later claim a role in resolving the crisis.

"The United States does not expect Israel to absorb ongoing attacks on its civilians by a terrorist organization," the official said.

"The fastest way to de-escalate and protect civilians on all sides is for Hezbollah to stop firing immediately."

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05:52

US Conducts New Round Of 'Self-Defense' Attacks On Iran; Tehran Fires Back At Kuwait

Violence flared again in the Middle East, with the US military saying it had conducted a third round of self-defense strikes against Iranian sites, while Tehran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US Gulf ally Kuwait early on June 1.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran, and Qeshm Island this weekend, the US military entity responsible for American forces in the Middle Eastsaid in a statement.

Illustrative image released by US Central Command (CENTCOM), which said it conducted 'self-defense' attacks on Iranian sites on May 30-31.

The operation marks at least the third publicly announced US "self-defense" strike against Iranian targets since the cease-fire took effect in early April.

It comes as US and Iranian officials are exchanging a series of proposals for a framework to extend the current cease-fire for 60 days and also potentially open the Strait of Hormuz and lift a US blockade of Iranian ports, among other issues being discussed.

The White House declined to comment and referred an RFE/RL reporter to CENTCOM.

CENTCOM said in a statement that the strikes were at least partially in response to the shooting down of a drone by Iranian forces.

CENTCOM called the strikes measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters.

It said that US fighter jets responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters.

It said no US service members were injured in the operation.

Iran's hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was quoted by Iranian state media as saying its forces targeted an air base used by US forces to launch the latest attacks, without specifying the country.

But, at the same time, theKuwaiti militarysaid its air defenses were confronting hostile missile attacks and drones attacks as air raid sirens blared throughout the small Gulf nation and US ally.

In a posting on X, the military said that if explosion sounds are heard, they are of air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks. Everyone is requested to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities.

It did not immediately identify the incoming projectiles as coming from Iran, but the small Gulf nation has often been the target of retaliatory launches by Tehran, which has claimed that US attacks have been launched from its territory.

US forces conducted strikes on May 7 after attacks involving Iranian missiles, drones, and small boats targeting US naval vessels, and carried out additional strikes on May 25 and May 27-28 against missile sites, mine-laying boats, and other military targets that Washington said threatened US forces and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

RFE/RLs senior Washington correspondent Alex Raufoglu contributed to this report.Share

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02:51

Trump Again Insists That Cease-Fire Deal Will Block Tehrans Nuclear Ambitions

US President Donald Trump insisted again that Tehran will not have a nuclear weapon under his proposed cease-fire deal, suggesting that the main focus of the memorandum now being negotiated is on Irans nuclear program.

In a social media post on May 31, Trump said his deal states, very clearly, that Iran will not have a Nuclear Weapon.

"It then goes on, in very strong and lengthy detail, to discuss various other aspects of Nuclear. In fact, thats what most of the agreement is about,he wrote.

US President Donald Trump waves as he returns to the White House o, in Washington May 31.

In a Fox News interview -- which was conducted on May 28 by his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, and broadcast on May 30 -- Trump said Iran had agreed it would not have atomic weapons.

"The one guarantee that I have to have is that there will be no nuclear weapons. They've agreed to that, and it was very interesting," he said.

Tehran has consistently said that no agreement has been made regarding its nuclear program or its supply of highly enriched uranium, which can be used to build a nuclear bomb.

Tehran, which has enriched some of its uranium stocks to levels close to weapons quality, insists that its atomic efforts are for civilian purposes.

In a video broadcast on state television on May 31, Mohammad Qalibaf, Iran's lead negotiator, said Iranian negotiators "neither trust the enemy's words nor its promises."

"We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld," said Qalibaf, who is Iranian parliament speaker.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi confirmed on May 31 that talks were ongoing, but warned against "speculation," saying Tehran couldn't judge the negotiating process until there was a clear outcome.

US and Iranian negotiators have exchanged several proposals over recent weeks. The New York Times and the website Axios reported on May 30 that Trump had sent back to Tehran a new framework that contained "tougher" terms.

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01:23

Europeans Express Concerns Over Israeli Offensive, Also Assail Hezbollah Ahead Of UN Session

French PresidentEmmanuel Macronand top British and German officials on May 31 expressed concerns over Israels latest ground offensive in Lebanon, while also assailing the Hezbollah militant group's attacks across the border into Israel.

Iran-backed Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is considered a terrorist organization by the US, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political branch.

Macron said that "nothing justifies the major escalation under way in south Lebanon" and he called for an end to fighting "for good."

France will continue to support the Lebanese authorities in their efforts to restore the sovereignty of the state and the countrys territorial integrity, he wrote on X.

British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper said ina post on Xthat Israel's military escalation in Lebanon has killed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure, and eroded space for diplomacy."

"It must end. Hizballah must end attacks on Israel and disarm. All sides must respect the ceasefire and engage with negotiations in good faith,

"All sides must respect the cease-fire and engage with negotiations in good faith," she added.

Israeli troops seize the Beaufort Castle and a strategic ridge in southern Lebanon.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul also called on Israel and Hezbollah to return to the cease-fire that was announced in April but has been on shaky ground since.

Wadephul said Israels "continued advance" into southern Lebanon was "a cause for great concern."

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on June 1 over Israel's expansion of its offensive in Lebanon, diplomatic sources told AFP.

The meeting, requested by France, and will take place immediately after an emergency session over the impact of a Russian drone into a Romanian apartment building. That meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. in New York.

Lebanon's Health Ministry said an Israeli strike in the south of the country early on May 31 killed at least eight people as Israel intensifies its attacks and ground operations targeting Hezbollah.

"The massacre committed by the Israeli enemy in a raid on the town of Deir Zahrani, Nabatieh district, at dawn on [May 31]..resulted in eight martyrs, including three women, and 19 wounded, including five children and six women," the ministry said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon following the militarys capture of the medieval castle of Beaufort, calling it a "dramatic shift" in the drive against Hezbollah.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli troops had raised the Israeli flag over the castle, which is also known as Qalaat al-Shaqif. He described the site as "one of the most important strategic points for defending communities of the Galilee" and ensuring the security of Israeli forces.

The castle has long held significant military value. Israeli forces used the fortress as a base during their 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, which ended in 2000.

The militant group, meanwhile, said it targeted Israeli forces near the fortress and military positions and infrastructure in Shlomi and Nahariya in northern Israel, while air raid sirens sounded in the Acre area.

With reporting by Reuters and AFPShare

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20:52

31.5.2026

Iran Reopened Most Of Underground Missile Facilities Struck By US And Israel

CNNreportedon May 31 that Iran has managed to unblock most of its underground missile facilities that were struck by US and Israeli forces since the beginning of the war on February 28.

The United States and Israel have sought to limit the Iran's access to its numerous underground bases, developed over the past decades, by destroying nearby roads, blocking tunnel entrances, and targeting digging equipment.

Iran worked to excavate the sites, but US-Israeli strikes on the facilities prevented Tehran from firing its missiles at full potential.

Iran Claims 28 Ships Passed Through Hormuz Strait 'In Coordination With' Revolutionary Guards

Vessels lie anchored in the strait of Hormuz

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy said on May 31 that 28 vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz "in coordination" with the force over the previous 24 hours, accounting for all ship traffic through the strategic waterway during the past day.

The IRGC said in a statement that " oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels" had passed through the strait "after obtaining authorization and in coordination with, and under the security protection of, the IRGC Navy."

Earlier on May 31, the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported that dozens of tankers carrying oil and liquefied natural gas had passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the past week with US approval and after paying transit fees to Iran.

The report came despite repeated statements by the US government opposing the payment of fees to Iran for passage through the strait, which usually accounts for 20 of global oil and gas supplies.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio FardaShare

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12:13

31.5.2026

Iran's Top Negotiator Says No Deal With US Without 'Tangible Results'

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf (file photo)

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has said that Tehran would not accept any agreement with the United States unless it guaranteed the rights of the Iranian people, state media reported.

Speaking after being sworn in for another term as speaker on May 31, Qalibaf -- a former Revolutionary Guards commander and Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the United States -- said there was "no trust" in US promises, adding that Tehran would only fulfill its commitments after achieving "tangible results" and would judge any agreement based on concrete outcomes.

US President Donald Trump has said Washington was nearing a "very good deal" with Iran but warned that military action remained an option if negotiations failed.

At the May 31 parliamentary session, which was held at an undisclosed location, Qalibaf claimed that Iran was "pushing back the enemy in a historic war."

But he also warned that "we must not fall into the trap of a war of attrition," adding that by placing national interests and public demands above factional and regional considerations, we must design an effective shortcut to solve the country's problems."

Those remarks appeared to be directed at a radical hardline minority in parliament that has strongly opposed continued negotiations with the United States aimed at ending the war.

With reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL's Radio FardaShare

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11:02

31.5.2026

Israel Expands Lebanon Offensive, Seizes Beaufort Castle

An Israeli flag and a flag of the Golani infantry brigade are raised on Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon on May 31.

The Israeli military says that it has expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon to additional areas and that its forces had crossed the Litani River to strengthen Israeli military positions in the region.

The Israeli military said "a significant number" of ground troops had begun offensive operations aimed at expanding what it called the "Forward Defense Line," adding that the operation was "currently expanding to additional areas."

The announcement on May 31 came two days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had crossed the Litani River, about 30 kilometers north of the Israel-Lebanon border.

The military said its forces had seized Beaufort Castle and the adjacent Beaufort Ridge, a strategic high ground overlooking large parts of southern Lebanon and northern Israel. It said one Israeli soldier was killed during the operation.

The castle has long held significant military value. Israeli forces used the fortress as a base during their 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, which ended in 2000.

The Israeli military also warned civilians south of the Zahrani River to move immediately to areas north of the river, saying it was intensifying operations against Hezbollah.

A cease-fire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, officially took effect on April 17, but has largely failed to hold, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

On May 30, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of pursuing a "scorched earth policy" in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon's Health Ministry says that Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,371 people since March 2.

With reporting by AFP and ReutersShare

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09:17

31.5.2026

World Awaits Trump Decision On Negotiated Framework

The world continues to await US President Donald Trumps reaction to a proposed framework to extend the current cease-fire with Iran, even as threats to resume US air strikes and American naval forces interdiction actions in the Persian Gulf region persist.

As of late May 30, there was no official word out of the White House, a day after Trump concluded a Situation Room meeting on a possible agreement with Tehran aimed at extending the shaky truce by 60 days, opening the Strait of Hormuz, and ending the US blockade of Iranian ports.

Under the framework, other difficult issues -- such as Irans right to enrich uranium and its overall nuclear program, along with potential easing of sanctions against Tehran -- would be negotiated during the 60-day period.

Several US media outlets on May 30 reported that Trump has sought a number of changes to the terms of the framework, indicating that much work remains to be done.

The New York Times and Axios, citing officials familiar with the discussions, separately reported that Trump's desired changes involved toughening the terms of the deal and that the US had transmitted the new details back to Tehran for consideration.

Read morehere