National police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan on Monday issued an ultimatum on Monday to protesters who joined what authorities have deemed “riots,” saying they must hand themselves in within three days or face the full force of the law.

He urged young people “deceived” into joining the “riots” to turn themselves in and receive lighter punishment. Those “who became unwittingly involved in the riots are considered to be deceived individuals, not enemy soldiers,” and “will be treated with leniency,” he told state television.

Officials have said the demonstrations were peaceful before descending into chaos that they claim was fueled by Iran’s arch-foes the United States and Israel in an effort to destabilize the nation. 

The leaders of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches vowed on Monday to work “around the clock” to address the country’s economic and livelihood challenges, according to a joint statement aired on state television. They also pledged to “decisively punish” those behind “terrorist incidents,” the statement said, issued by President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.

Judicial chief vows strict justice

“Our main work at the judiciary about the recent developments has just started,” judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei wrote in a post on X on Monday. “If, without justification, we grant leniency to someone who is not deserving of leniency, then we have acted contrary to justice,” he said.

State television has aired the confessions of dozens of people with blurred-out faces over recent days, extending a practice that has persisted for many years despite facing international criticism.

Iranian authorities have also emphasised that they intend to make up for some of the financial losses incurred during the protests by confiscating the belongings of those who publicly backed the protests or participated in them.

The Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said all of the assets of a major businessman, including a string of renowned cafes across the country and several top food brands, were seized. The total value of the assets is reportedly believed to be close to the cost of damages incurred in Tehran.

Executions as a tool of Intimidation

UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement on Monday, “The scale and pace of executions suggest a systematic use of capital punishment as a tool of state intimidation, with disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities and migrants.” 

The Islamic Republic reportedly executed 1,500 people last year, Volker Turk said. The spike in executions in Iran — which, according to rights groups, is the world’s most prolific executioner after China — had contributed to “an alarming increase” in the use of capital punishment worldwide last year, Turk said.

In the case of Iran, at least 47 percent of executions in 2025 were related to drug offenses, the rights office said.