Iran Executed 'Staggering' Number Of People In 2025, Amnesty Says

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18 May 2026, 09:30 GMT+10

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02:27

Iran Executed 'Staggering' Number Of People In 2025, Amnesty Says

Iran executed a "staggering" 2,159 people in 2025, Amnesty International reported on May 18, helping to push the global figure to the highest level since 1981.

London-based Amnesty said at least 2,707 people were executed globally last year, although death sentences carried out in China were not included in the figure.

Amnesty said that "thousands of executions" were carried out in China, the world's most prolific user of the death penalty, although details are uncertain due to "the state secrecy" over data in the communist nation.

Amnesty International says that 2,159 people were executed in Iran last year.

Amnesty said the 2025 global figure -- including executions in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Yemen, Singapore, and the United States -- represented an increase of more than two-thirds from the 2024 total.

"This trend was strongest in countries where the authorities have tightened their grip on power by restricting civic space, silencing dissent and displaying disregard for protections established under international human rights law and standards," it said.

In particular, the "staggering increase in recorded executions in Iran" came as authorities "intensified their use of the death penalty as a tool of political repression and control," particularly after the June 2025 war with Israel.

Amnesty and other rights groups have said Tehran is intensifying its use of the death penalty after mass antigovernment street protests in January and following the outbreak of war against Israel and the United States.

Amnesty said the known total of 2,159 executions carried out in Iran in 2025 "constituted the highest figure on record since 1981" in the country. It was also the highest one-nation figure since that year.

Because of the difficulty in obtaining concrete information, other groups have provided differing figures on the number of executions in Iran.

The Norway-basedIran Human Rights NGOearlier this year said at least 1,639 people were executed in Iran last year.

Tehran has acknowledged executing 30 people so far in 2026.

Saudi Arabia last year carried out at least 356 executions, above its record-high figure of at least 345 in 2024, Amnesty said.

Executions in Kuwait rose from six in 2024 to 17. In Egypt, they went from 13 to 23. In Yemen, the yearly figure rose from at least 38 to at least 51, it added.

In the US, Amnesty said an "unprecedented rise" of executions in Florida -- to 19 -- brought the national total to 47, highest since 2009.

With reporting by AFP

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03:04

We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.

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22:31

17.5.2026

Saudis Intercept 3 Drones Fired From Iraqi Territory, Origin Unknown

The Saudi Defense Ministry said three drones were intercepted and destroyed after they entered its territory airspace from Iraqi airspace.

Major General Turki Al-Maliki on May 17said the country"reserves the right to respond at the appropriate time and place, and will take and implement all necessary operational measures to respond to any attempt to infringe on the Kingdom's sovereignty, security, and the safety of its citizens and residents on its territory."

It was not immediately clear who may have launched the drones, but many Iran-allied militias operate within the territory of Iraq.

Saudi Arabia has often been the target of Iranian drones and missiles (file photo).

With both pro- and anti-Iranian militias based in the country, Iraq has often been drawn unwillingly into the US-Israeli war with Iran.

The latest incident comes Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates said a fire had broken out at the Barakah nuclear power plant after drone attack.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) responded to the attack with a statement condemning "military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable."

Saudi Arabia and UAE have been frequent targets of Iranian missiles and drones launched in retaliation for US-Israeli air strikes that began on February 28, even amid the current cease-fire announced in early April.

Unconfirmed press reports have suggested that both nations launched their own attacks against Iranian sites, although the reports have not been confirmed by the Saudis or the UAE.

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19:29

17.5.2026

Trump: 'Clock Is Ticking' For Iran

US President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks to reporters after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 15, 2026.

US President Donald Trump on May 17 urged Iran to "get moving," threatening severe consequences in a post on Truth Social.

"For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won't be anything left of them,"he wrote. "TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!"

Trump's comments came after Iranian media reported that the United States had not offered any concessions in its latest response to a proposal Tehran had transferred to Washington through Pakistan to end the war.

While there were no official comments from Iranian authorities, the state-affiliated Mehr news agency said the United States wanted "to obtain concessions that it failed to obtain during the war," adding that it might be an obstacle to a negotiated agreement.

Iran Human Rights NGO Condemns 'Sham Trials' Of Protesters Leading To Executions

The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) issued astatementon May 16 asserting that the execution of protesters arrested during recent nationwide protests was "facilitated and expedited" by state-approved Iranian lawyers.

The demonstrations, which started in late December and lasted through February, were the largest uprising in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The unrest was triggered by raising inflation and widespread shortages and led to a violent state crackdown that resulted in thousands of casualties and tens of thousands of arrests. An Internet blackout is still ongoing.

IHRNGO has reviewed documentation confirming what they call "sham trials" in which "some state-approved lawyers routinely fail to challenge forced confessions, investigate claims of torture and ill-treatment, or present vital exculpatory evidence."

The organization claims that this results in Iranian courts immediately issuing death sentences based on uncontested evidence that the Supreme Court quickly affirms, denying the defendant a chance for legal scrutiny.

The statement also notes that lawyers in some cases have refused to communicate with the families of the accused, preventing them from following up on how the case is proceeding.

According to IHRNGO, there have been over 200 executions in Iran in 2026.

Iranian authorities, meanwhile, issued a report on May 16 saying 30 people had been executed on political grounds since the beginning of the country's conflict with the United States and Israel on February 28.

Iran's judiciary said that those executed were found guilty of espionage and terrorism in cases related to large-scale anti-government protests that took place across the country earlier in the year.

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13:03

17.5.2026

Abu Dhabi Says Nuclear Plant Hit by Drone Attack

A fire has broken out at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the Abu Dhabi Media Authority on May 17.

The fire began after a drone attack on the Barakah nuclear power plant in the Al-Dhafra region. No deaths or injuries were reported.

The UAE news agency said that the fire broke out in an electrical generator outside the perimeter of the power plant and did not negatively impact the safety of the site.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) responded to the attack with a statement condemning "military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable."

The IAEA said that it had been assured by the UAE that radiational levels at Barakah remain normal and that emergency diesel generators are currently providing power to the power plants third unit.

"The IAEA is following the situation closely and is in constant contact with the UAE authorities, ready to provide assistance if needed," the agency said on X.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi "expresses grave concern about the incident and says military activity that threatens nuclear safety is unacceptable," the agency continued. "The DG reiterates call for maximum military restraint near any NPP to avoid the danger of a nuclear accident."

Following the launch of US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, the UAE became the biggest target of Tehran's retaliatory attacks.

The Barakah nuclear power plant (file photo)

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12:59

17.5.2026

FIFA Official Says Iranian Team Welcome At World Cup

A senior official of FIFA said on May 17 after talks with Iranian soccer federation officials in Istanbul that it is looking forward to welcoming Iran's team to the World Cup, which kicks off in Canada, Mexico, and the United States next month.

Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA's secretary-general and second in command after President Gianni Infantino, described the meeting held late on May 16 in Turkey as "excellent and constructive," according to Reuters.

"I think we're working closely together and looking very much forward to welcoming them to the World Cup," Grafstrom said.

Members of Iran's national soccer team attend a farewell ceremony ahead of their departure for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in Tehran on May 13.

Iran's participation in the world's biggest soccer event has been inquestionever since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, sparking a regional conflict.

Tehran had sought to have Iran's matches moved to Mexico, but Infantino has so far insisted that all games must be played at the originally scheduled venues.

The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, described the meeting with FIFA as "positive and constructive" but cautioned earlier this week that no visas had yet been issued for Iran's team members, who are scheduled to play all three of their group games in the United States.

Taj himself was refused entry to Canada for the FIFA Congress in Vancouver earlier in May as Canada has listed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and indicated Taj had alleged ties with the organization.

The Iranian team will travel to Turkey on May 18 for training camp before heading to the United States. Their first game is against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.

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11:31

17.5.2026

Iran's Top Negotiator Says World On 'Cusp Of New Order' As Trump Reiterates Warning

Mohammad Baqir Qalibaf, Iran's parliamentary speaker and top negotiator in talks aimed at ending the war with the United States, said on May 16 that shifting geopolitics mean that the "the world stands at the cusp of a new order."

Citing comments by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who hosted US President Donald Trump this week for a closely watched summit, Qalibafwrote on X: "As President Xi said 'The transformation unseen in a century is accelerating across the globe.'"

"I emphasize that the Iranian nations 70-day resistance has accelerated this transformation," Qalibaf said, adding: "The future belongs to the Global South."

Trump, meanwhile, reiterated his warning to Iran to "make a deal" in ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that Tehran has effectively closed since US-Israeli strikes began on February 28.

"I have no idea" whether Iran will sign an agreement, Trump said in comments to French broadcaster BFMTV on May 16. "If they don't, theyre going to have a bad time. A very bad time. They had better make a deal."

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11:01

17.5.2026

Report: Black Market Thriving For Iran's 'Internet Pro'

The transformation of free Internet access into a luxury and underground commodity has allowed Iran's distribution network to become rife with systemic corruption, a report has found.

The Khabar Online website reported that a black market has thrived since Iran's nationwide Internet shutdown -- almost at 80 days as of May 17 -- began.

Rather than a total blackout, authorities have maintained an elaborate whitelisting system of selectively granting connectivity to favored institutions, companies, and individuals while leaving the rest of the population cut off.

That system has been formalized further through a paid scheme called Internet Pro that allows business owners and academics to purchase access at pre-shutdown levels, a development critics have quickly labeled a form of tiered or class-based Internet.

According to the report, which was published on May 16, an informal network of brokers has been formed who, in exchange for millions of dollars, register applicants as employees of companies or members of guilds in order to gain access to the Internet.

These brokers exploit regulatory loopholes to register applicants' names on company lists.

Amnesty International has criticized Iranian authorities for imposing what it calls "digital darkness," describing access to the Internet as "a basic human right and indispensable in times of conflict."

US Lets Russian Oil Waiver Linked To Iran War Expire, Reimposing Sanctions

WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration has allowed a controversial waiver on sanctions targeting Russian seaborne oil to expire, reimposing restrictions that had temporarily enabled countries such as India to continue purchasing Russian crude despite Western efforts to curb Moscow's wartime revenues.

The move, which took effect on May 16 after the Treasury Department declined to renewGeneral License 134B,highlights the increasingly difficult balance Washington faces between tightening pressure on the Kremlin and preventing further disruption to global energy markets already rattled by the Iran conflict and instability around the Strait of Hormuz.

The waiver, first introduced in March and extended in April, permitted transactions involving certain Russian oil cargoes that had already been loaded onto tankers before sanctions deadlines took effect.

Administration officials defended the measure as a temporary safeguard aimed at preventing a deeper global energy shock as fighting in the Middle East pushed oil prices higher and threatened key shipping routes.

To read the full report, clickhere.