Two young men were shot dead Tuesday night near the western Iranian city of Hamadan, as the regime struggles to suppress growing public dissent amid a widening crackdown. A video from their funeral Thursday shows crowds chanting "Death to the dictator," highlighting a surge of public outrage.
During the funeral processions, hundreds of young Iranians gathered, chanting slogans against the regime and singing Iran's pre-revolution national anthem. Among the chants: "They lied to us that America is the enemy – our enemies are right here."
🚨Protests in Iran🚨
Anti-regime protests have erupted in Hamedan, Iran after Khamenei's Basij murdered two young men.
The protesters chanted:
"I will kill the one who killed my brother!"
"Our enemy is right here! They lie when they say it's America!"pic.twitter.com/I7YEO1PY0N
— National Union for Democracy in Iran (@NUFDIran) July 3, 2025
According to Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian security forces suspected an SUV carrying three passengers near the Tarikh-Dareh area, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Hamadan, around 2 a.m. local time. This followed a report of drone activity in the area. When the vehicle attempted to flee, the security forces first fired warning shots, then opened fire, killing two of the occupants and wounding the third.
One of the victims was identified as Alireza Karbassi. Fars published a statement purportedly from his father, claiming: "The opposition has crossed a line. We obey the law and have no connection to the opposition. We're busy arranging my son's burial."
However, the opposition outlet Iran International published a video from the funeral in which many attendees are heard shouting slogans including "Death to the dictator." The head of the armed forces judiciary in Hamadan said an investigation into the circumstances of the incident is underway.
The shooting comes amid an unprecedented wave of arrests across Iran since the war with Israel began. At least 700 people have been detained nationwide on suspicion of cooperating with Israel, with hundreds more arrested in Tehran alone. Since the conflict erupted, Iran has already carried out at least six executions.
Sardar Ahmad-Reza Radan, commander of Iran's national police, urged citizens to report "unusual home rentals, vehicle rentals, suspicious movements, and buyers of cars who refuse to register them in their name."
Authorities have erected checkpoints, conducted raids on factories, and carried out random detentions at metro stations. A large-scale public reporting system has been set up, with dedicated phone lines for flagging suspicious behavior. Simultaneously, hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals who had sought refuge in Iran have been deported.
