In the first week of July, Iran’s regime has unleashed a new wave of lethal violence against people of Iran. From the western city of Hamedan to the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan, the regime’s security forces have murdered and assaulted defenseless citizens. Yet, far from instilling fear, this brutality has ignited a firestorm of organized public defiance, proving that the Iranian people will not be silenced and their only demand is regime change.
These events expose the lie behind the new administration of Masoud Pezeshkian, demonstrating that no matter the face in the president’s office, the regime’s only answer to the public’s legitimate grievances is the bullet.
Mourning turns to defiance in Hamedan
The regime’s campaign of terror was starkly evident in Hamedan. On Tuesday, July 1, members of the criminal Basij militia opened fire on a vehicle, murdering two young men, Mehdi Abayi and Alireza Karbasi, and severely injuring a third.
The regime’s attempt to terrorize the local population failed spectacularly. On Thursday, July 3, what was meant to be a funeral procession transformed into a powerful anti-regime demonstration. A large crowd of Hamedan residents marched, their grief turning into revolutionary anger as they chanted slogans directly targeting the oppressors: “Death to the oppressor” and “I will kill those who killed my brother.”
July 3—Hamedan, western Iran
Attendees at the funeral of two youth murdered by security forces chant anti-regime slogans. The two youth were killed at a Basij checkpoint after the guards opened fire on the passengers.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/8twrznktWR— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 3, 2025
In a stunning rebuke of the regime’s decades-old propaganda, the protesters also chanted, “Our enemy is right here; they lie when they say it’s America.” This slogan, echoing from the streets of Hamedan, sends a clear message to the world: the Iranian people know their true enemy is the ruling theocracy.
Baluchi women show courage in face of repression
On the very same day as the murders in Hamedan, the regime’s inherent misogyny was on full display in an assault on the village of Gunich in Khash. Regime forces raided the village and opened fire on defenseless Baluchi women, killing one and wounding at least ten others with live ammunition and pellet rounds.
But the women of Gunich refused to be victims. In a remarkable act of organized resistance, they bravely confronted the heavily armed forces with stones. After repelling the initial assault, they secured their village by setting tires ablaze to block the entry roads, preventing the suppressive forces from returning. This courageous stand demonstrates not only the spirit of Iranian women but also their capacity for organized self-defense against a barbaric regime.
Unifying the call for change
The Iranian Resistance stands with the brave protesters in Hamedan and Khash. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), expressed her condolences to the grieving families and saluted the protesting youth of Hamedan who “did not allow the blood of the fallen to be trampled upon.”
I salute the courageous youth and the brave people of Hamedan, who, with chants such as “Death to the oppressor” and “I will kill the one who killed my brother,” stood firm and refused to let the blood of the fallen be dishonored. Our deepest condolences go to the bereaved… pic.twitter.com/hVZ3Bk6ijh
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) July 3, 2025
She emphasized that these brutal acts are symptoms of a dying regime. She stated that “the killing of innocent youth in Hamedan, the attack and assault on defenseless women in Khash, the widespread arrests, and the increasing executions only deepen the people’s anger and hatred and strengthen their determination and resolve to bring about regime change.”
The events in Hamedan and Khash are not isolated incidents of unrest. They are a clear verdict delivered by the Iranian people. They demonstrate a nation that is organized, defiant, and clear-eyed about the source of its misery.