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President Donald Trump on Thursday addressed the Iranian regime’s execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi.
“About two weeks ago, they put out a notice saying if you protest, we’ll shoot you. They kill them. Look what they did to the wrestler. They killed him for talking. They killed him. He was a star wrestler, a great wrestler, in fact,” Trump said during an interview on Pak Gazette’ “The Five.”
“Iran has great fighters, and he was a star, one of the best. And they killed him because he spoke out. He spoke out against the regime, which is largely decimated.”
According to reports from human rights activists and Iranian-American dissidents, Mohammadi was killed in a public hanging earlier this month.
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Iran International reported that Iran’s regime hanged Mohammadi and two other Iranian men, Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi “after being accused of killing two police officers during nationwide protests earlier this year,” the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency reported.
Mohammadi previously told the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting that his dream was to be an Olympic champion.
Mohammadi won a bronze medal in September 2024 in Iran’s national wrestling at the Saytiyev International Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
The execution prompted comments of mourning and outrage from several Olympic athletes, including American gold medalists Brandon Slay, a wrestler; Tyler Clary, swimmer; and Kaillie Humphries, a female sledder.
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The International Olympic Committee drew criticism for its statement on the execution because it did not condemn Iran.
“Unfortunately, today’s world is divided and full of conflict and tragedies. The IOC cares deeply about the situation of athletes around the world and is concerned whenever it learns of individual cases of mistreatment,” the IOC said in a statement to Pak Gazette Digital.
“However, it is very difficult to comment on people’s situations during a conflict or unrest in a country without the IOC being able to verify the often contradictory information.
“At this time we are especially concerned about the situation of Iranian athletes impacted by the events unfolding in their country, as we are with all athletes facing conflicts and tragedies in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, these situations come to our attention more frequently due to the increasingly divided world we live in.”
The IOC noted that it does not have the power to dictate the decisions of a sovereign nation.
“The IOC, as a non-governmental civil organization, has neither the mandate nor the ability to change the laws or political system of a sovereign country. This is the legitimate role of governments and the respective intergovernmental organizations.
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“The IOC is a sports organization whose mandate and success is based on uniting the world in peaceful competition. We have to be realistic about the IOC’s ability to directly influence global and national affairs,” the statement continued.
“At the same time, we will continue to work with our Olympic stakeholders to help where we can, often through quiet sports diplomacy. The IOC remains in contact with Iran’s Olympic community.”
