Iranians Face Double Peril of Gallows and Bombs

Click to expand Image Two members of Iran’s security forces stand guard in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 8, 2026. © 2026 Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images Iran’s authorities executed a young man, Mehdi Khanaki, on July 22. He was the 24th known person arbitrarily executed since March 18 in connection with recent protests. The number of executions of real and perceived dissidents on vague national security charges has significantly increased. Over the past four months alone, authoriti