A Norway-based human rights group reported that Iran executed at least 1,500 people in 2025, a figure described as an unprecedented increase in capital punishment over the last 35 years. The group noted a significant rise in executions since the 2022 protests, with over 700 of the 2025 executions linked to drug offenses. The report coincides with new protests in Iran driven by economic stagnation, though these demonstrations are smaller in scale than those in 2022.