On September 22, 2018, a terrorist attack took place during a military parade in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz. The attack resulted in the deaths of 25 people, including members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and civilians. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iranian officials also accused Arab separatists backed by Saudi Arabia of being involved.
Now, nearly three years later, it has been reported that the Iranian leader responsible for the attack has been executed. According to state media, a man named Hassan Darvishvand was executed on June 12, 2021, after being convicted of providing the weapons used in the attack.
Darvishvand was reportedly a member of a separatist group called the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz (ASMLA), which seeks independence for the Arab minority in Iran’s Khuzestan province. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by Iran and several other countries.
Iranian officials have long accused Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states of supporting ASMLA and other separatist groups in Iran. In the aftermath of the 2018 attack, Iran summoned the ambassadors of Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, accusing them of harboring ASMLA members and supporting their activities.
The execution of Darvishvand is likely to be seen as a message from Iran to its regional rivals that it will not tolerate support for separatist groups within its borders. It also comes at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have been engaged in a proxy war in Yemen for several years.
However, some human rights groups have criticized Iran’s use of the death penalty and raised concerns about the fairness of Darvishvand’s trial. Amnesty International has called on Iran to “immediately halt all executions” and “ensure that all those accused of crimes are tried in fair proceedings.”
The execution of Darvishvand is just the latest development in a long-standing conflict between Iran and its Arab minority. Khuzestan province, where the 2018 attack took place, is home to a large Arab population and has been the site of protests and unrest in recent years.
While the execution of Darvishvand may bring some closure to the families of the victims of the 2018 attack, it is unlikely to resolve the underlying grievances that have fueled separatist movements in Iran. As long as those grievances remain unaddressed, there is a risk that more violence could occur in the future.
