Iranian Wrestler Hassan Yazdani Breaks Silence, Backs Islamic Republic Forces Who Suppressed Protests

Hassan Yazdani, a member of the Islamic Republic of Iran's national freestyle wrestling team, after nearly three months of silence on the protests of the Iranian people and the suppression and killing of Iranian citizens by Islamic Republic forces, published a message on his Instagram page writing: "I will forever bow my head before the selfless soldiers and the bereaved families of the martyrs of the Ramadan War." In another part of his message, he called those who suppressed protesters during the demonstrations of January 8–9, 2026 (18 and 19 Dey 1404) "defenders of security" and said he was indebted to a group of these forces who, in his words, were "killed and martyred" during the protests. Yazdani also used the slogan "Between homeland and enemy, shame on those who doubt" as the caption for his Instagram post — a phrase that has recently been used by government institutions on advertising banners across Iranian cities.