TEHRAN – The Iranian Judiciary has executed nine members of the ISIS terrorist group following the Supreme Court’s confirmation of their death sentences for a foiled 2017 plot targeting civilians and security forces.
According to a Tuesday statement released by the Iranian Judiciary’s Media Center, the sentences were carried out after exhaustive legal proceedings.
The case traces back to February 2017, when Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces, announced the dismantling of an ISIS terrorist cell in western Iran.
General Pakpour revealed that “ISIS aimed to deploy operatives inside Iran to conduct terrorist attacks against civilians in border and central cities,” but the vigilance of intelligence and security forces thwarted the plot.
The Judiciary statement outlined how IRGC forces collaborating with the Ministry of Intelligence units first identified the terrorists’ hideout in rugged western terrain.
After comprehensive surveillance confirmed their identities and precise location, security forces surrounded and engaged the cell.
During the operation, several terrorists were killed, including some who detonated suicide vests, while others were captured. Tragically, three IRGC fighters were martyred during the confrontation.
The security forces recovered a significant arsenal from the terrorists, including machine guns, thermal cameras, handguns, 50 grenades, and large quantities of ammunition.
The Judiciary emphasized that these weapons evidenced plans for mass-casualty attacks on Iranian soil.
Legal proceedings saw the case referred to Tehran’s General and Revolutionary Court Prosecutor’s Office, where the defendants faced charges of Moharebeh (waging war against God) through armed rebellion and possessing illegal weapons.
After multiple trial sessions attended by the defendants and their lawyers, the court reviewed confessions, evidence of weapon possession, and the terrorists’ role in killing the three IRGC members. All nine were sentenced to death—a ruling recently upheld by the Supreme Court.
The relentless battle against ISIS
Iran has spent more than a decade leading a determined and sacrificial campaign against ISIS, persistently countering the group’s repeated attacks on the nation.
In 2017, the terror group launched deadly attacks on the Iranian Parliament and Imam Khomeini Mausoleum in Tehran, killing 17 civilians and wounding dozens.
The group later struck the revered Shah Cheragh Shrine in Shiraz in 2022 and 2023, murdering 15 pilgrims and drawing global condemnation.
Iran’s judiciary responded decisively, sentencing perpetrators to death in May and affirming its policy of zero tolerance for terrorism.
Last January, ISIS claimed responsibility for two bombings targeting a memorial honoring the revered General Soleimani in Kerman, murdering 89 innocent lives and injuring hundreds. Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence later announced that 12 individuals involved in the bombings had been arrested across six provinces in Iran.
Beyond its borders, Iran has been instrumental in crippling ISIS. Tehran provided critical training, intelligence, and ground support to Iraqi forces and Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), helping liberate key cities like Mosul.
Legendary IRGC Major General Qasem Soleimani—later martyred by the U.S. in 2020—spearheaded coordination with Iraqi militias, earning deep respect for his tactical brilliance.
In addition to its decisive actions in Iraq, Iran has played a vital role in Syria by dismantling key ISIS strongholds in collaboration with the Resistance Axis.
Their sustained, coordinated campaign significantly diminished the terrorist group that once controlled vast areas of Iraq and Syria.
Internally, Iran’s multi-agency counter-terrorism framework—encompassing its Police Command, the IRGC, the Army (Artesh), and intelligence services—has disrupted numerous ISIS plots.
In a recent large-scale operation last week, the Islamic Republic’s Police Command dismantled a suicide terrorist network linked to ISIS that had planned to carry out bombings during the anniversary commemorations of Imam Khomeini’s death.
According to Police Spokesperson Saeed Montazeralmahdi, the operation—conducted in coordination with Tehran’s Metropolitan Police and forces in Isfahan, Qom, and Alborz provinces—resulted in the arrest of 13 foreign nationals, including the group’s leader, operational coordinators, and suicide bombers, alongside the seizure of explosive vests and backpacks.
