Current sectionMiddle East NewsThe three men are the first executed among tens of thousands arrested in a January crackdown. The director of Iran Human Rights said the executions were 'intended to instill fear in society and deter new protests' amid the U.S.-Israeli war on IranShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeThe Associated PressMarch 22, 2026A 19-year-old star wrestler and two other young men were hanged in Iran this week, raising alarm among rights groups that a wave of executions may be underway as authorities facing relentless attacks from the U.S. and Israel seek to squelch public dissent.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:IranHuman rightsGlobal protestsMojtaba KhameneiCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesTrump-IranIsrael ElectionsJerusalem DayGaza FlotillaEurovisionIsrael-NYTHaQuizHaaretz Podcast'Fantasies of a Young Arab Lover': The Secret Gay Scene of Mandatory PalestineCould Brain-drain Leave Israel Brain-dead?Why Asking 'Are You a Zionist?' Is No Longer RelevantIn the Village Where a Body Was Exhumed at Settlers' Orders, Shock RemainsReport: U.S. and Israel in 'Intense Preparations' to Renew Strikes Against IranRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThe Hasidic Jews Behind Florida's Giant Golden Trump StatueStarlink Users, Beware – Israeli Tech Can Reveal Your IdentityIt Wasn't Just Revenge That Israel Was After in GazaIsraeli Artists Slam Venice Biennale Participation: 'Again, Israel as a Victim'Trump Collides With Reality in Latest Iran StandoffIsraeli Teens Storm Muslim Quarter in Old City, Haaretz Reporter Attacked