Mourners in western city of Hamedan demanded justice Thursday at the funeral of two young men shot dead by Islamic Republic forces, chanting “Death to the oppressor” and turning the burial into a mass denunciation of state violence.
“They killed my brother — I will kill those who did it,” mourners shouted, according to video footage shared with Iran International.
Others cried, “Iranians will die before accepting humiliation,” while crowds sang the anthem “Ey Iran,” long a rallying cry at anti-government protests.
The victims, named by local sources as Mehdi Abaei and Alireza Karbasi, were shot outside Hamedan during what state authorities called a security operation. Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, reported that forces opened fire on their vehicle near the Tareek-Darreh area after suspecting it of drone-related activity.
“Officers first fired warning shots, then issued a stop order before targeting the car directly,” Fars wrote.
The young men were on a recreational off-road trip — a common pastime in the area — and had no known political links, according to local reports.
One other passenger was also wounded.
The Armed Forces Judicial Organization of Hamedan confirmed the deaths and said a formal probe was underway.
“A case has been opened and field investigations are ongoing,” its local chief told state media.
Authorities have not released the names or ranks of those involved in the shooting. Sources familiar with the case said the unit responsible was affiliated with the Basij paramilitary.
The killings occurred during a wave of heightened domestic surveillance and arrests following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas.
Iranian authorities have detained at least 700 people on suspicion of collaboration with Israel, with hundreds reportedly arrested in Tehran. Simultaneously, checkpoints have been deployed across major cities, and a public hotline has been created to report “suspicious behavior.”
The state has also escalated its campaign of deporting Afghan refugees.
“We have degraded their program by one to two years, at least,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told reporters. “All of the intelligence that we've seen leads us to believe those facilities, especially, have been completely obliterated.”
The June 22 strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan using bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles, a mission US officials have described as a success.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the Fordow facility had sustained major damage. “What we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged,” he told CBS News, adding that the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is still evaluating the site.
Despite the damage, Araghchi said Iran would not abandon its nuclear efforts. “Our peaceful nuclear program has turned into a matter of national pride and glory,” he said. “People will not easily back down from enrichment.”
IAEA says enrichment could resume within months
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said on Sunday that Iran retains enough technical capacity to resume uranium enrichment in a matter of months. “They could have, in a matter of months—or even less—a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium,” he told CBS.
“Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared,” Grossi said. “There is still something there.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi echoed that view, saying the program could recover if the government chooses to act. “If there is this will on our part, and the will exists in order to once again make progress in this industry, we will be able to expeditiously repair the damages and make up for the lost time,” he said.
Tehran suspends cooperation with UN watchdog after strikes
Tehran has since enacted legislation suspending cooperation with the IAEA under its safeguards agreement, unless its demands—including guarantees for its nuclear facilities and scientists—are met. The IAEA said on Wednesday it had not yet received formal clarification and that its inspectors remained in Iran.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials and state media have escalated criticism of the agency. A senior judiciary official said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi could face trial in absentia for “deceptive actions,” while a hardline newspaper called for his arrest and execution. France, Germany, and the UK condemned the threats in a joint statement and reaffirmed support for the agency.
Despite the damage to key facilities, Iran has not ruled out further enrichment. “People will not easily back down,” Araghchi said. President Donald Trump warned earlier that any resumption of enrichment would be met “without question” by further military strikes.