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Iain Dale gets an update from journalist Negar Mojtahedi on the surge of public executions taking place in Iran.
The Islamic Republic publicly executed two Iranian protesters in Isfahan with several hundred people gathering to protest the act of brutality.
Mojtahedi tells Iain that the situation is 'depressing and disheartening', as she criticises the world for 'ignoring' the story.
As Trump vows to give Iran a 'beating', Mojtahedi muses on whether this will actually be politically effective in taking down the Iranian regime.
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0:00
How should Andy Burnham go about challenging the Iranian regime
0:04
Because surely that's what any British prime minister should do. We have history in that region
0:10
We can't just turn our backs and say, well, it's up to the Iranians themselves to decide what to do about their own regime
0:19
Surely if we believe in human rights, we need to encourage freedom movements within Iran
0:29
either tacitly, explicitly, or supporting them materially. 0345 6060 973
0:39
Well, let's talk to Negar Majdahedi, who is a journalist and presenter for Iran International English
0:45
He's also the host of the Eye for Iran podcast. Negar, good to see you again
0:52
Can you just bring us up to date with what's happened over the last 24 hours with these executions
0:57
First of all, thank you for that introduction because it's so depressing and disheartening
1:05
to see the lack of attention or care. Like where are the protests around the world
1:11
We had two protesters, two young men who were executed. There was a heavy police presence
1:19
There was protests happening again, people gathering overnight to try and prevent this
1:25
from happening. But unfortunately, they were publicly hanged. There was a third individual, as long as 18
1:31
He was also meant to be executed. But reports are that he had a heart attack just prior out of fear
1:38
And this is part of the Alikhani square case, which involves a total of 12 young men
1:44
Two were executed, like I said the other day, and two more were executed already on July 19th
1:50
You know, Ian, there is a post that is going viral right now amongst the Iranian diaspora
1:56
And it's depressing. It reads that when you see four industrial cranes, the most tragic thing about being Iranian is that when you see four industrial cranes erected by the government, it's not because they're dealing with an infrastructure project. It's not because they're trying to improve the country. It's because they're getting ready to publicly hang their own citizens
2:26
And we have in this country, I don't know how many Iranian expats who've basically fled Iran to come to live here
2:36
but it must be in the hundreds of thousands I would think And it terrible when all of those people sort of see these stories and I suppose they can explain to their English neighbours
2:50
well, this is why we've had to flee that regime, because this sort of thing, it's not, I mean, we're highlighting this one today
2:57
but I'm sure there have been others over the last few weeks that have happened that nobody knows about
3:02
This happened to be a very public hanging. Not all of them are. And you think, well, what message is the current Iranian regime trying to send out
3:12
Saying, well, we are just as hardline as our predecessors. It's a warning sign to people to toe the line or these are the consequences
3:22
But do they understand, do you think, the effect that this has internationally on their own reputation or do they care
3:28
I don't think they care. And unfortunately, when it comes to their international reputation, it doesn't seem to really impact it
3:35
Again, I haven't seen the campus protests, you know, that we've seen for other conflicts around the world happening for this
3:42
Why is this not a big deal for people? I don't see this on, you know, the front page of headlines
3:48
It's not making headlines around the world. Public executions in 2026 for protesting in the city of Esfahan alone
3:57
There are 70 protesters who are set to be executed. You know, hundreds since the January massacre
4:04
Tens of thousands of people were killed then in just two nights. And I hear people on, you know, Piers Morgan and various shows in Western media basically debating if that even actually happened
4:19
Which is incredible, isn't it? When people automatically assume that we in the so-called dreaded mainstream media have some reason to lie about these things
4:29
I mean, it's incredible that people can even think in that way. and yet as you say people are happy to march every Saturday chanting free Gaza when frankly
4:39
a lot of them in those marches have not got the faintest idea what they're even marching for
4:44
and yet where are the free Iran marches that are going on I mean I would I really would love
4:50
someone to try and launch this because it's just sickening when you see what's happening
4:57
to ordinary people who just want to lead a normal life? You know, every Saturday, the Iranian diaspora
5:06
there's a lot of members of the Jewish community who also show up to these freedom protests for Iran
5:12
And the most depressing thing, Ian, is that there are counter protests. There are counter protests
5:17
A lot of the people who are taking part in the Free Gaza protests come with the Islamic Republic flag
5:22
Many of them not from the region at all Actually much of them are Caucasian and telling people in my community that we the ones who have this wrong that we on the wrong side of history and that
5:36
the Islamic Republic is good. They're the good people in this equation. And I think this goes
5:40
back to the fact that the perpetrators in this case are the people that they identify with as
5:46
the heroes. And the perpetrators are not Israel in the U.S. in this case. And as a result
5:51
it just gets ignored. And that's the point, isn't it? Because if Donald Trump wasn't launching these
5:57
military strikes on Iran, if Israel hadn't done the same thing, I think a lot of these protesters
6:03
wouldn't be doing that. But because it's Trump and Israel, that's a good enough reason they don't
6:10
even feel the need to research the very regime that they are ostensibly promoting. It's sickening
6:17
Yeah, it's very sickening. The very regime that is threatening them and their way of life and Western civilization
6:23
for that matter. Just to play devil's advocate for a second, because that has to be my job from time to time
6:29
I mean, what do you say to people? You say, well, look, it's up to the Iranians to decide their own future
6:34
We in the West should just stay out of it. We shouldn't do anything that could cause more conflict
6:41
I think that's a cop out. I think it's a cowardly way forward
6:45
But, I mean, that is what a lot of people think. Well, I would say that the people of Iran are asking for help
6:53
In fact, in 2009, they were pleading for help from Barack Obama when they were rising up against Ahmadinejad
7:01
who they believed stole the election from the reformists, Mir Hussein Mousavi
7:06
So time and time again, the people of Iran are calling out and they are asking for help
7:10
But unfortunately, when it comes to the war, for example, if Iran is as weak as Donald Trump says they are, then use that as a negotiating tactic
7:21
Use that to free all, you know, we will not negotiate, we will not talk to you unless you free all political prisoners
7:28
So at the same time, a lot of people inside Iran are wondering if President Donald Trump is serious about getting rid of the regime
7:35
Because when we hear, I'm going to finish the job, what does finish the job really mean
7:39
To a lot of people, it's a very doomsday-like scenario, very apocalyptic
7:46
And people automatically assume that that means he'd finish off the regime
7:50
But unfortunately, when I've spoken to military experts and ysts, the meaning of that phrase can change depending on what the objective is
7:58
And as of now, the objective is to end the nuclear threat or to reopen the street of Hormel
8:06
So I do think that Western leaders need to start being very serious and show that they care for the people of Iran and have human rights be part of the talks Are you aware of this interview that
8:20
Trump has given to Fox News today? I mean, unfortunately, I can't repeat what the President
8:27
of the United States has said, because I would lose my job if I did. But let me make an attempt
8:33
without actually saying the words. He says, this is an interview with Fox News earlier today
8:39
on Iran, we're going to beat the effing SH1T out of them. I mean, not very presidential words
8:46
but I mean, if he means that, I mean, I'm not quite sure what the implications of that are
8:52
I mean, is that something that you would welcome? Well, it depends, because again
8:58
Does that mean that you're going to go after political targets? Or what about Ejei, the head of the judiciary, that's sentencing these young people to be executed for protesting
9:11
It doesn't seem like that's what it is, because somewhere along the lines, the objectives changed here with the U.S. and Israel war inside of Iran
9:20
The Israelis did a great job going after the Basij military checkpoints, going for political and IRGC figures
9:27
But as I said, again, that stopped at some point and we haven't seen we haven't seen them going for these political targets
9:34
So what does that mean? And just the other day when he was on Fox and Friends, when he does his usual call in the morning
9:41
he said that if they don't sign a deal, I'm going to finish the job. And he followed that with I'm going to destroy all of their big bridges and infrastructure and power plants
9:50
But he said, I'm hesitating to do that for the sake of the Iranian people. Well, the government of Iran doesn't care for the Iranian people
9:56
In fact, I've spoken to ysts who say they care so much about staying in power that they're willing to withstand all of this
10:03
So what kind of leverage does that really give the United States when you bring the Iranian people into the equation there, right
10:08
So at the end of the day, if destroying bridges is what he means by finish the job or I'll beat the XXX out of them
10:18
it doesn't seem like the bridges may not be standing, but the regime might
10:23
would it economically impact them so much that they won't be able to pay off the IRGC and the
10:28
Aretash? That remains a question, but they always find ways to circumvent all of these tactics
10:35
Well, I think it's also very interesting and highly significant that Saudi Arabia have now
10:39
been conducting airstrikes against Iran alongside the Americans, because obviously Saudi Arabia and
10:45
Iran have been sort of declared enemies for many, many years. But Saudi Arabia has been very
10:51
reticent to take military action, but now it is doing so
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