UN: Iran Executed 21 People Since Start of Mideast War

The United Nations (UN) has reported a series of human rights violations in Iran since the beginning of the ongoing escalation in the Middle East.

According to the UN, the Iranian Government has executed no fewer than 21 people and arrested over 4,000 others since the United States (US) and Israel launched airstrikes against the Middle East country on February 28, 2026.

The UN’s rights office said at least nine people have been executed in connection with the protests that rocked Iran in January 2026, another 10 for alleged membership of opposition groups and two on spying charges.

It added that over 4,000 people are estimated to have been arrested on national security-related grounds, adding that many detainees had been victims of forced disappearances, torture or “cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment”, including forced confessions — sometimes televised — and mock executions.

“I am appalled that — on top of the already severe impacts of the conflict — the rights of the Iranian people continue to be stripped from them by the authorities, in harsh and brutal ways,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.

“I call on the authorities to halt all further executions, establish a moratorium on the use of capital punishment, fully ensure due process and fair trial guarantees, and immediately release those arbitrarily detained.”

Amnesty International revealed that  Iran executes more people each year than any country but China.