As Iran has been “Negotiating” it has been Ramping Up Executions of its own Citizens
How can Iran be treated as a serious negotiating partner while it escalates a brutal campaign of state executions? The Iranian regime is now facing a far more restive population as a result of global events. The regime’s response has been an increase in executions. That would seem to be counterintuitive.
Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of the Washington Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), is available for interviews and expert commentary on why Iran’s wave of executions is not just a domestic crackdown—but a strategic message to the international community.
According to recent reporting by Fox News, Iran has sharply increased the number of public executions in 2024, with human rights groups citing nearly 600 executions in 2023 and the numbers climbing this year. These acts are not isolated incidents; they are coordinated by a regime attempting to instill fear at home while projecting defiance abroad.
“Engaging the Iranian regime in nuclear negotiations while it’s publicly hanging its own citizens is not only morally indefensible—it’s strategically incoherent,” says Jafarzadeh. “This regime uses terror, both domestically and internationally, as leverage. If the world rewards that with diplomatic concessions, it only encourages more violence.”
Jafarzadeh, who famously exposed key Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz and Arak in 2002, warns that Iran’s human rights abuses are inseparable from its nuclear ambitions. “Any serious approach to Iran’s nuclear program must also address its violent repression and support for terrorism,” he says. “Otherwise, negotiations become a façade that the regime uses to buy time.”
The “maximum pressure” campaign under the Trump administration aimed to curtail Iran’s nuclear buildup through tough sanctions. But Iran’s response—ramping up executions—should serve as a red flag: the regime doesn’t negotiate in good faith; it doubles down on brutality.
Jafarzadeh can speak to:
- The NCRI’s documentation of Iran’s human rights violations
- How internal repression relates to Iran’s nuclear policy
- Why past negotiations with Iran have failed
- What a realistic and effective Iran policy should include
- Alireza Jafarzadeh is available for interviews.
Schedule an interview with Jafarzadeh TODAY!
Related Article(s)
Iran’s executions ramp up under Pezeshkian as US pushes nuclear talks | Fox News
Optional Q&A
- Why is the Iranian regime ramping up executions at a time when it claims to be open to nuclear negotiations?
- What message is Tehran sending—to its own people and to the international community—by publicly increasing hangings during this diplomatic window?
- From your perspective, is it even possible to negotiate in good faith with a regime that uses execution as a political tool?
- How do Iran’s human rights abuses tie into its broader strategy of nuclear extortion and international manipulation?
- Do you believe the Biden administration—or any Western power—truly understands the nature of the Iranian regime?
- You were the first to expose key Iranian nuclear sites back in 2002. How do the current developments compare to that period?
- What would a truly effective Iran policy look like, especially in light of this violent crackdown?
- How can the international community hold Iran accountable for these executions without undermining efforts to curb its nuclear ambitions?
ABOUT ALIREZA JAFARZADEH…
Alireza Jafarzadeh serves as the Deputy Director of the Washington Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). He is also the author of The Iran Threat (Palgrave MacMillan, New York, 2008).
A recognized expert on Iranian policy, Jafarzadeh has been at the forefront of efforts to prevent the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons. His groundbreaking work in 2002 and 2003 led to the discovery of key illicit nuclear sites in Iran, including the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, the Arak heavy water plant, the Kalaye Electric centrifuge testing facility near Tehran, and the Lashkar Ab’ad laser enrichment facility. These revelations prompted the first-ever inspections of Iranian nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Jafarzadeh is a frequent guest on major television and radio networks, including CBS Evening News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, and France 24. His insights have also been featured in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Time, and The Hill.
ABOUT SHAHIN GOBADI…
Shahin Gobadi, a U.S.-educated nuclear engineer, is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
An astute observer of Iranian affairs for over three decades, Gobadi is an expert on topics including Iranian state-sponsored terrorism, proxy groups in the Middle East, the Iranian nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, Western policy toward Iran, and internal Iranian affairs.
He has been interviewed by major international media outlets, including CNN, Fox News, BBC, Sky TV, GB News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Reuters, and the Associated Press. Gobadi’s writings have appeared in prominent media across the U.S. and Europe.
ABOUT ALI SAFAVI…
Ali Safavi is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Iran’s Parliament-in-Exile.
A sociologist by training, Safavi studied and taught at UCLA, California State University Los Angeles, and the University of Michigan. He was an active participant in the anti-Shah student movement in the 1970s in the United States and has been deeply engaged in Iranian affairs ever since.
Safavi has lectured and written extensively on Iran, Iraq, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and Middle Eastern politics. He has appeared in interviews on networks such as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, BBC, Sky TV, Newsmax, and France 24. His articles and commentary have been published in leading outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Boston Herald, The Washington Times, and The Financial Times.
CONTACT: For further details or to arrange the interview, please contact Jerry McGlothlin at 919-437-0001 / Bookings@SeasonalLiving.com
