The war is on hold, but Iran’s internal crackdown is only deepening

Iran warThe war is on hold, but Iran’s internal crackdown is only deepeningNBC News spoke to a relative of one man who was executed last month, as authorities ramp up a deadly campaign against those seen as the enemy within.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00The news site of the Iranian judiciary reported on April 5 that Mohammad Amin Biglari, pictured here, was hanged.Obtained by NBC NewsShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 13, 2026, 4:05 AM EDT / Updated May 13, 2026, 4:07 AM EDTBy Babak DehghanpishehMohammad Amin Biglari disappeared as anti-government protests rocked Iran in early January. His father desperately searched morgues in Tehran, the Iranian capital, for a month, fearing his son was among the thousands killed in the crackdown by authorities.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Instead, a lawyer from the revolutionary court contacted the family and said Biglari had been arrested. Biglari’s father was not allowed to visit him at the Ghezel Hesar prison, some 30 miles west of Tehran, a relative outside of Iran who is in contact with the family told NBC News. The relative is not being identified for security reasons.While in prison, Biglari, a 19-year-old who worked at a hair salon and the internet department of a chain store, was only allowed to have one-minute calls with his father, according to the family member. On the fourth call, the family member said, Biglari told his father while sobbing that he had received his sentence: death. The news site of the Iranian judiciary reported April 5 that Biglari was hanged.While the Iranian regime has been battling its external enemies, Israel and the United States, it has also been ramping up a deadly crackdown on those seen as the enemy within. Add NBC News to GoogleTrump Says Fragile US-Iran Ceasefire is on ‘Massive Life Support’01:48Since mid-March, there have been at least 28 executions in Iran, including 13 people arrested in connectio...