Iran executes man over foreign-linked terrorism charges

• Iran executed Mehdi Khanki after his conviction on espionage-related charges.
• Authorities said he was arrested in Karaj during an intelligence operation in February 2026.
• Security forces reported seizing weapons, explosives, and other military equipment from his residence.
• Iranian judicial authorities said he confessed to joining an anti-government organization and obtaining weapons for planned unrest.

Iranian judicial authorities executed Mehdi Khanki following his conviction for operational espionage and carrying out acts supporting hostile foreign states, state media reported on Wednesday.

According to a report from the Fars News Agency citing judiciary sources, Khanki was detained in Karaj on February 10, 2026, after intelligence officers from the Alborz Law Enforcement Command (Faraja) identified him as an active member of an anti-revolutionary group.

Arms, explosive cache

During a search of Khanki’s residence in Karaj, law enforcement agents uncovered an extensive arsenal containing firearms, ammunition, and specialized explosive devices.

Judicial records revealed that the weaponry had been retrieved from designated drop points in Mahdasht, Karaj, based on video instructions and coordinates provided by foreign contacts shortly before anti-government unrest in January 2026.

Legal basis

Interrogations cited in the report indicated Khanki confessed to joining the group in 2023 and gathering weapons intended for strategic operations against state security.

"The defendant was convicted under the Law on Intensifying Punishment for Espionage and Cooperation with the Zionist Regime, US, and Hostile groups against National Security and Interests," state media noted, confirming the death sentence and full confiscation of assets following Supreme Court review.