© Unsplash/X. Charbagy The capital of Iran is Tehran. Middle East: Increasing humanitarian risks and executions of protesters in Iran Peace and Security
The humanitarian consequences of the escalation in the Middle East continue to mount. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned about this on Thursday.
Tensions in the Straits of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb directly impact shipping, air travel, border crossings, and regional supply chains on which the well-being of millions of people depends. Any new disruptions could dramatically increase humanitarian needs amid a lack of funding. Amid growing instability, new attacks on civilian infrastructure are being recorded. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense reported a drone strike on a crossing on the border with Iraq – a number of buildings were damaged, but there were no casualties. In Iran, an attack near a passenger terminal on the border with Iraq led to the death of at least two people and injured 11 others. According to the Iranian Ministry of Health, since June 27, 53 people have been killed, including women and children, and more than 590 have been injured. A child was wounded in Qatar on July 17.
Executions in Iran
Meanwhile, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran called on the country’s authorities to immediately stop the executions of ten young men sentenced to death for their participation in the January protests in Isfahan. The mission strongly condemned the execution of two other defendants case held on July 19. They were reportedly 18 and 23 years old. All 12 men were arrested following protests in which, according to Iranian sources, four members of the security forces were killed. The families of at least two of the 10 surviving convicts have reportedly been summoned for “last visits,” indicating that execution is imminent. The mission notes that since December 2025, it says more than 100 people have been sentenced to death in Iran 60 people, including women and minors. Since March, at least 23 men accused of participating in the protests have been executed. Of particular concern to human rights activists is the acceleration of cases following the order of the head of the Iranian judiciary, which could lead to new death sentences. The mission again called on Tehran to immediately stop all protest-related executions and introduce a moratorium on the use of the death penalty with the prospect of its complete abolition.