At the close of 2025, Iran’s clerical government faced what the Iranian opposition coalition termed an alarming increase in state executions. The president-elect of the coalition pointed out that these mass hangings represent a “crime against humanity” and are a sign of a regime desperately trying to cling to power amid a society on the brink of upheaval.
In a report released on December 31 by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the opposition group estimated that over 2,200 executions took place throughout the year, with 376 occurring in December alone—the highest number recorded during Ayatollah Khamenei’s nearly four-decade rule.
NCRI President-Elect Maryam Rajavi indicated that the widespread and arbitrary nature of these executions amounts to organized crime, driven by a regime that fears public backlash and potential societal unrest.
According to the NCRI, the execution count in 2025 was more than double that of 2024, showing a staggering increase of approximately 120% from the previous year (1,006 executions), 160% from 2023 (853 executions), and about 280% compared to 2022 (582 executions).
The coalition labeled 2025 one of the bleakest years in Iranian history, deeming it the bloodiest under Khamenei’s rule as the regime seemed to be heading toward greater isolation amidst an escalating internal crisis.
The report noted a rapid increase in executions during the latter half of the year, with the figures in the last six months surpassing those of the first half, particularly in December.
Executing individuals in 97 cities across 31 provinces marked a disturbing trend, up from 77 cities the year before. This expansion was viewed as an effort to cultivate a climate of fear nationwide. The NCRI cautioned that tracking executions in more remote areas remains challenging, possibly leading to unreported cases.
The group reported that at least 64 women—a significant rise from the previous year—and six juvenile offenders were among those executed.
Additionally, 13 public executions occurred in 2025, almost triple the number seen in the prior year, used as a tactic to instill fear among the populace.
Victims ranged in age from 18 to 71, with the average age of known death row inmates being 36, per the NCRI’s findings.
The opposition coalition asserted that death sentences for political prisoners—particularly those accused of ties to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)—rose sharply in 2025, warning that 18 political prisoners aged between 22 and 68 faced death sentences this year or await execution after their appeals were denied by the regime’s supreme court.
Moreover, the report highlighted a dubious trial in absentia involving 104 resistance members, indicating this could lead to further executions and potential acts of terrorism, with participation in PMOI protests abroad being labeled as serious crimes.
On a somewhat more hopeful note, the NCRI pointed out that the anti-death penalty movement in Iran grew significantly in 2025, noting the “No to Tuesday Executions” campaign, which has seen inmates in 55 prisons participate in weekly hunger strikes for over 100 weeks.
The president-elect of the NCRI claimed that the recent wave of collective and arbitrary executions reflects a state of organized crime amid significant internal and external challenges for the regime. She argued that uprisings by citizens and merchants in Tehran and beyond at the year’s end demonstrated that such mass executions aimed to quell unrest had ultimately failed, depicting the religious dictatorship as “weaker and more vulnerable than ever.”
In a separate report, the Human Rights Defenders News Agency (HRANA) recorded at least 1,922 executions by December 20, excluding the last days of the year. The NCRI pointed to a sharp increase in executions during December alone, totaling 376 executions.
As Iran experienced a fourth consecutive day of rising unrest—with protests spreading from shopping centers to schools and increased clashes on the streets amid a declining economy—opposition groups suggested these indications point to a deepening crisis within the regime.
President Donald Trump, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reiterated warnings to Tehran, asserting that the U.S. would “completely crush” Iran if it revived missile and nuclear programs, while still encouraging negotiations.
