The Iranian regime systematically relies on the gallows to suppress youth uprisings and spread terror across the nation. However, the immediate and widespread response from the Iranian streets proves this desperate strategy is entirely failing.
Following the execution of 26-year-old Mehdi Khanaki this week, Resistance Units of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) swiftly organized nationwide activities. Their bold actions honored his sacrifice and underscored an unwavering vow: to continue the struggle to overthrow the mullahs’ brutal rule. Rather than breeding fear, the regime’s brutality is only strengthening the resolve of Iran’s rebellious youth.
July 24—Iran
PMOI/MEK Resistance Units carry out activities to honor Mehdi Khanaki, a proud PMOI member who was executed by the regime this week. The Resistance Units vowed to continue his path and to continue the struggle to overthrow the brutal rule of the mullahs. pic.twitter.com/Jam8aFxNiN— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 25, 2026
At dawn on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the regime executed Khanaki, a law graduate and PMOI member. Following his active participation in the massive January 2026 nationwide uprising, he was actively pursued by security forces and eventually arrested on February 10, 2026, in Karaj. After enduring months of severe physical and psychological torture, Khanaki was sentenced to death in a sham trial by the Karaj Revolutionary Court.
Notably, when state-run media first announced his arrest on February 12, they refused to name him, citing only the arrest of a member of the “Monafeqin” (the regime’s derogatory term for the PMOI).
This reluctance reveals the regime’s profound fear of the growing gravitation of Iranian youth toward the Resistance Units. Despite the PMOI warning the UN Special Rapporteur on March 1, 2026, about his severe torture, the regime proceeded with its horrific sentence.
Tehran (July 22)
"Salute to PMOI martyr Mehdi Khanaki, who was executed today" pic.twitter.com/loKEVsQOYB— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 25, 2026
Khanaki’s execution is part of a broader, intensely escalating wave of state violence. Exploiting the fog of war and recent regional conflicts, Tehran has launched a massive campaign of arrests and executions.
Over the past year, approximately 2,400 individuals have been executed, including ten PMOI members hanged simply for participating in the January protests. Adding to the psychological torment, the regime cruelly refuses to return the bodies of these executed dissidents. Terrified of a looming uprising, the regime is laying the groundwork for a massive purge of political prisoners akin to the 1988 massacre.
Despite the climate of fear the regime desperately tries to cultivate, Resistance Units across the country launched bold, highly visible public operations on July 22 and July 24. These activities directly challenged the regime’s leadership and proved the futility of its terror tactics.
Kermanshah
"National Liberation Army units will continue the path of PMOI hero Mehdi Khanaki" pic.twitter.com/3bHjUgaM8E— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 25, 2026
In Tehran, Resistance Unit members bravely targeted the new Supreme Leader, holding a placard that read: “To Khamenei’s son (Mojtaba), who deliberately sent PMOI freedom fighter Mehdi Khanaki to the gallows… expect ‘revenge.'”
Resistance Units placed flower wreaths and placards in public spaces in Karaj and Tehran, honoring Khanaki as a freedom fighter “who did not bow down before any torture or pressure and remained steadfast in his pledge.” In Mashhad, the message was clear: “The continued executions of rebellious youth and PMOI freedom fighters are yet another sign of the regime’s dread of an explosion of public rage.”
Meanwhile, in Kermanshah, Shiraz, and Ahvaz, youth installed photos of Khanaki and painted graffiti demanding the release of political prisoners, explicitly rejecting executions, and urging the public to “Join the ranks of the National Liberation Army.”
Mashhad
"Salute to PMOI member Mehdi Khanaki, who was executed by the criminal regime" pic.twitter.com/wgfw7NOHgc— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) July 25, 2026
The regime’s attempt to crush the Iranian spirit is a lost cause. These ongoing executions are a clear sign of the persistent uprising of the Iranian people and their brave children against religious fascism, reflecting the regime’s terror of the inevitable explosion of public anger.”
The nationwide activities of the Resistance Units in memory of Mehdi Khanaki offer undeniable proof to the world: the youth are not afraid. The clerical dictatorship’s efforts to maintain its fragile grip on power through sheer terror are ultimately futile, as each execution only fuels the momentum for the inevitable next uprising.