Iran Executes Three Men, Including Teenage Wrestler, in First Post-Protest Hangings Iran executed three men on Thursday, including a 19-year-old wrestler, in the first hangings linked to the nationwide protests that erupted in late December 2025. The trio, accused of killing police officers during the demonstrations, were convicted of waging war against God under Iran’s sharia law. The executions took place in Qom, south of Tehran, following a trial that rights groups condemned as unfair. The men—Mehdi Ghasemi, Saleh Mohammadi, and Saeed Davoudi—were found guilty of involvement in the deaths of two police officers and supporting Israel and the United States. Amnesty International and Iran Human Rights (IHR) highlighted that Mohammadi, a teenage wrestling champion who had competed internationally, was denied proper legal representation and forced to confess under torture. IHR stated the three were sentenced to death after "unfair trials" that lacked due process. The executions occurred amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, following strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel on February 28. Activists warned of a potential surge in mass executions as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies. IHR emphasized that the killings are intended to instill fear, as the Islamic Republic faces internal pressure for reform. Iran’s hardline judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, vowed "no leniency" for those involved in violent protests. Tehran has acknowledged over 3,000 deaths during the unrest, including security forces and civilians, blaming the violence on "terrorist acts." However, rights groups like HRANA estimate the toll could be much higher, with over 7,000 killings recorded, most of them protesters.#iran #qom #mehdi_ghasemi #saleh_mohammadi #saeed_davoudi
Mojtaba Khamenei Likely to Become Iran’s Next Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been reported as the next candidate for the position, according to state media. The announcement came shortly after the death of Ayatollah Khamenei on February 28, 2026, following joint strikes by Israel and the United States. This selection marks a significant shift in Iran’s political landscape, as the country’s establishment has historically resisted hereditary succession from father to son. Mojtaba Khamenei, born on September 6, 1969, in Mashhad, is the second son of Ayatollah Khamenei and Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh. He has five siblings, including three brothers and two sisters. His early life was shaped by his father’s resistance against the Shah of Iran’s monarchy, which culminated in the 1979 revolution and Ayatollah Khamenei’s rise to power. Mojtaba’s childhood was marked by frequent raids and turmoil due to his father’s repeated arrests by the Shah’s secret police, SAVAK. After the revolution, the family relocated to Tehran, where Mojtaba attended Alavi High School. He later studied under religious conservatives in Qom, Iran’s center for Shi’ite theological learning, earning the clerical rank of Hojjatoleslam. He joined the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shortly after completing his education, forming lasting ties with military figures who later held high-ranking positions. Mojtaba also served in the Habib Battalion during the 1987-88 Iraq-Israel war. Despite his military and clerical background, Mojtaba is not considered a major leader within Iran’s establishment or a prominent religious scholar. He has never held a formal government post and has rarely spoken publicly.#ayatollah_ali_khamenei #mojtaba_khamenei #iranian_revolutionary_guard_corps #mashhad #qom
