Industrial cranes are meant to build cities. In Iran, they are increasingly being used as gallows.

The public hangings of Amirhossein Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi in Isfahan have become a chilling symbol of Iran's escalating execution campaign. As the world focuses on war, Tehran is rapidly carrying out death sentences against protesters arrested during January's nationwide uprising.

Former UN prosecutor Professor Payam Akhavan argues these are not lawful executions but arbitrary killings that may amount to crimes against humanity under international law.

"These are killings. They are murders. There is no legal justification whatsoever for these killings." — Professor Payam Akhavan

In this episode of Eye for Iran, we examine why Iran has resumed public hangings, whether those responsible could one day face prosecution, and why Professor Akhavan believes the latest executions form part of a continuing crime against humanity.

We then turn to President Donald Trump's repeated promise to "finish the job" in Iran. What does that mean in practical terms? Admiral Robert Harward (Ret.), former Deputy Commander of US Central Command, and Blaise Misztal, Vice President of Policy at JINSA, discuss Washington's strategic objectives, Iran's nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and whether regime change has become the ultimate end state.

Finally, Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, and Nicole Grajewski, Assistant Professor at Sciences Po, analyze Ukraine's unprecedented strike on an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea and what it reveals about the growing convergence between the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

Guests

• Professor Payam Akhavan — Former UN Prosecutor; Human Rights Chair, Massey College, University of Toronto

• Admiral Robert Harward (Ret.) — Former Deputy Commander, US Central Command

• Blaise Misztal — Vice President of Policy, JINSA

• Alex Vatanka — Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute

• Nicole Grajewski — Assistant Professor, Sciences Po

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:04 Segment 1 | Professor Payam Akhavan
02:04 Iran's Public Hangings Return
06:06 Why Is Iran Escalating Executions?
08:00 The Courage of Iran's Protesters
11:00 "These Are Murders," Says Former UN Prosecutor
16:21 Who Could Be Prosecuted?
17:56 Preserving Evidence for Future Trials
21:11 Extermination vs. Genocide
22:57 Responding to Massacre Deniers

28:42 Segment 2 | Admiral Robert Harward & Blaise Misztal
28:42 What Does Trump Mean by "Finish the Job"?
31:20 Why Give Iran More Time?
34:11 Does "Finish the Job" Mean Regime Change?
40:33 Military Pressure vs. Iran's Internal Crackdown
45:01 Pickaxe Mountain and Netanyahu
50:51 Can Iran Rebuild?
56:18 What's Next for Iran?
59:19 Boots on the Ground?

01:02:57 Segment 3 | Alex Vatanka & Nicole Grajewski
01:02:57 Ukraine Strikes an Iranian Ship
01:03:39 Was the Caspian Strike a Warning?
01:08:33 Is Ukraine Acting as a Proxy?
01:12:28 Will the Caspian Sea Become Militarized?
01:16:08 How Ukraine Changed Iran-Russia Relations
01:20:13 What's Next for Iran, Russia and Ukraine?

01:25:30 Closing Remarks

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