TEHRAN: Iran’s state media reported on Saturday that the country carried out a drone strike on a vessel allegedly linked to Israel in the Strait of Hormuz, setting it ablaze.
The report, citing a commander of the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, did not provide further operational details. There has been no immediate response from Israel regarding the claim.
Separately, Iran’s judiciary announced the execution of two men accused of belonging to a banned opposition group and engaging in activities aimed at destabilizing the Islamic Republic. According to the judiciary’s official Mizan Online platform, the individuals — Abolhassan Montazer and Vahid Baniamerian — were executed after their death sentences were upheld by the Supreme Court.
The two men were convicted of attempting rebellion through involvement in multiple acts described by authorities as terrorism, along with membership in the People’s Mujahedin of Iran. They were also accused of carrying out sabotage operations intended to overthrow the government.
Officials did not disclose when the arrests were made.These executions are part of a broader crackdown targeting members of the MEK, with four other individuals linked to the group executed earlier in the same week. The MEK, once supportive of Iran’s 1979 revolution, later fell out with the ruling establishment and has since operated in exile.
Tehran classifies the organization as a terrorist group.The developments come amid heightened regional tensions following the outbreak of war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. The conflict was triggered by joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, which reportedly resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader and escalated into a wider confrontation across the region.
Iran has carried out multiple executions since the conflict began. On Thursday, authorities executed a man accused of working on behalf of Israel and the United States during recent anti-government protests.
Earlier, on March 19, three individuals convicted of killing police officers during unrest were also put to death. In another high-profile case, Iran executed Kouroush Keyvani, a dual Iranian-Swedish national, in March on charges of espionage for Israel.
The execution drew strong condemnation from Sweden and the European Union.Iran remains one of the world’s leading countries in terms of executions, ranking second after China, according to international human rights organizations.