Iran executed a man on Sunday who was accused of supporting Israel and the United States during anti-government protests, according to the judiciary.

Majid Adineh was convicted of carrying out actions in support of hostile groups during nationwide demonstrations that erupted over economic hardship, the judiciary’s Mizan Online news agency reported.

Authorities accused Adineh of deliberate arson, collusion and gathering with the intention of committing crimes against Iran’s internal security. The Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death and ordered the confiscation of his property.

His appeal was rejected and the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence. Adineh was executed on Sunday morning, according to Mizan.

Adineh and another suspect were arrested on January 9 in Alborz province, west of Tehran. Authorities said they were carrying a revolver and ammunition, two tasers, two tear-gas canisters, a rechargeable chainsaw and a bottle of gasoline.

The protests began in late December amid anger over rising living costs before expanding into widespread anti-government demonstrations. The unrest reached its peak on January 8 and 9.

Iranian authorities have attributed more than 3,000 deaths during the unrest to violence and alleged terrorist activity orchestrated by the United States and Israel.

The execution is part of a broader increase in capital punishment in Iran since the outbreak of the Middle East war on February 28, when US and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran. Several executions have been linked to the protests, while others have involved cases connected to the conflict.

Iran executed at least 1,639 people last year, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights and the Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty. The figure was the highest recorded in Iran since 1989, according to the organisations.

Amnesty International has described Iran as the country with the second-highest number of executions worldwide, after China.