Trump Comments on Mohammadi’s Execution

President Donald Trump spoke out on Thursday regarding the Iranian government’s execution of Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old wrestler. In an interview on Fox News’ “The Five,” Trump highlighted the severity of the situation. “About two weeks ago, they put out a notice that if you protest, you’re going to be shot. They killed him. Look what they did to a wrestler. They killed him for speaking out. The fact is, he was a star wrestler, a great wrestler,” he said.

Trump lamented that Iran lost a talented athlete simply for voicing his opinions against a regime that was on the brink of collapse. Reports from Iranian-American human rights activists indicated that Mohammadi was publicly hanged earlier this month.

Mohammadi, along with two other Iranian men, Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, was executed “on suspicion of killing two police officers during nationwide protests earlier this year,” according to Iran’s International News Agency and the judiciary-linked Mizan news agency.

In prior statements, Mohammadi expressed his aspiration to become an Olympic champion. He even secured a bronze medal for Iran in the freestyle wrestling category at the Saitiev International Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in September 2024.

The execution sparked outrage and condolences from various Olympic athletes, including U.S. gold medalist wrestler Brandon Slay, swimmer Tyler Clary, and bobsledder Kylie Humphries.

Criticism also arose regarding the International Olympic Committee’s response to the executions, as it did not specifically condemn the actions of the Iranian regime. “Sadly, the world today is divided, full of conflict and tragedy. The IOC cares deeply about the situation of athletes worldwide and is concerned each time we learn of individual incidents of abuse,” the IOC stated to Fox News Digital.

The organization emphasized its limitations in addressing these issues, noting, “However, unless the IOC is able to verify the often contradictory information, it is very difficult to comment on the situation of individuals during conflict or turmoil in a country.”

Furthermore, they clarified that the IOC does not have the power to intervene in the sovereign decisions of nations. “The IOC is a private, non-governmental organization and has no authority or capacity to change laws or political systems of sovereign countries. This role belongs to governments and their respective intergovernmental organizations,” the statement continued.

Despite these constraints, the IOC aims to support athletes and engage in what it described as “quiet sports diplomacy.” The organization remains in contact with the Iranian Olympic community.