ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iran on Monday executed a man in connection with the January nationwide protests, accusing him of having links to the US and Israel and attacking military sites to steal weapons, the judiciary said, as Tehran’s crackdown continues.

“Ali Fahim, one of the enemy elements in the terrorist riots … who attacked prohibited military sites to seize the armory and steal war weapons, was hanged after the case was reviewed and the verdict was confirmed by the Supreme Court,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said.

Iran was engulfed in nationwide protests starting late last year, as business owners and shopkeepers at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar went on strike and staged demonstrations over the falling value of the Iranian rial against the US dollar. The unrest later spread to other provinces, with chants increasingly targeting the state.

In January, Tehran launched a brutal crackdown to curb the protests, leaving thousands dead. Tehran has also confirmed that over 3,000 protesters were killed in the recent demonstrations, though the real number is feared to be much higher.

The Islamic republic has ramped up its execution of protesters in recent days, as the war with the US and Israel rages on. 

Three others linked to the protests have been executed recently, including Amirhossein Hatami last week, and Mohammadamin Biglari and Shahin Vahidparast on Sunday, according to the Oslo-based Hengaw Human Rights.

In March, Ahmad-Reza Radan, Iran’s top police officer, said protesters will be treated as “enemies.” “If anyone comes forward and acts upon the wishes of the enemy, we will no longer treat them as merely protesters but rather as enemies,” he said.

"And we will do to them what we do to an enemy. We will deal with them in the same way we deal with enemies," he added.

Iran has repeatedly referred to the recent nationwide protests as “foreign plots,” and labeled the demonstrators “terrorist elements” working for the US and Israel.

The Iranian judiciary has stated that there will be “no leniency” for those acting against the country’s security. Those arrested could face charges often punishable by death under the Islamic republic’s judicial system.

Charges include “corruption on Earth” (efsad-e fel-arz), “enmity against God” (moharebeh), and “armed rebellion against the state” (baghi).