Special Islamic revolutionary courts largely established to fight financial crime that takes advantage of Iran’s economic turmoil have sentenced three people to death, state television reported on September 30.

There has been a public outcry in Iran over profiteering that has occurred amid the collapse of the Iranian rial (IRR) and soaring inflation, difficulties largely caused by the US attempt to throttle Iran’s economy with renewed heavy sanctions.

The special courts were created in August after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said there should be “swift and just” legal action to confront the “economic war” waged by foreign enemies. The objective appears to be to quell public anger by trying suspects quickly and discouraging others from committing offences.

As quoted by state TV, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said the courts handed down death sentences to three defendants convicted of “spreading corruption on earth”, a capital offence under Iranian Islamic laws. Officials did not name the trio. The sentences can be appealed to the supreme court.

Mohseni Ejei said 32 other defendants were given jail terms of up to 20 years for economic crimes, official news agency IRNA reported.

Separately, state media reported that a judiciary official warned truck drivers holding a nationwide strike over pay and high prices that they would be subjected to “harsh penalties” if they continued their protests.

“Harsh penalties await those who... block lorry traffic on roads,” he reportedly said.

On September 30, 153 members of the 290-seat parliament wrote to the government, urging an amicable resolution of the labour dispute in which dozens of striking drivers have been arrested for allegedly blocking roads and trying to pressure colleagues to join the strike, according to Reuters, citing Iranian news agencies.

“A failure to resolve the problems of the truck drivers who make up a group of over 400,000 people has led to disruptions in recent days in the transportation of fuel and goods in the country, while this could be prevented by timely measures,” IRNA quoted the MPs as saying in the letter.