Iran has executed a man detained during protests in January for allegedly firing at police, the judiciary said on Saturday. The judiciary said Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi fired at least three shots at police on Jan. 8 and was arrested two days later with a handgun in Shahrekord in southwestern Iran. It accused him of contacting people online to organize “anti-security” activities and seeking payment for a “mission,” without identifying who was purported to be behind it. The protests erupted on Dec. 28, 2025, over economic hardship and swelled into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule in the Islamic Republic. Iran blamed armed groups and operatives backed by the U.S. and Israel for involvement in the protests and for some of the violence. Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu acknowledged during the protests that Israel had operatives inside Iran. He said they aimed to weaken Iran’s capabilities, though he denied they were directly working to topple the leadership. Editing by Alison Williams
