Iran has executed a 19-year-old wrestler, Saleh Mohammadi, in a public hanging alongside two others in Qom, according to reports from state media and human rights groups. The executions, carried out in front of a crowd, mark a significant escalation in Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protests that began in late 2025. Authorities accused the men of killing two policemen during unrest, but rights organizations claim the confessions were extracted under torture and the trials lacked due process.

A powerful explosion struck central Tehran near Ferdowsi Square during a pro-government Quds Day rally. Thick smoke was seen rising from the area as crowds gathered near Enghelab Street for the annual demonstrations. Quds Day is an annual pro-Palestinian event held on the last Friday of Ramadan and was established in 1979 by Iran’s first Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.