Iranians Stage Chilling Mock Executions of Trump and Netanyahu, While Chanting for Their Deaths

Supporters of Iran's Islamic Republic staged mock executions of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tehran's Enghelab Square on Saturday, 22 August, with footage published the following day showing the two effigies hanging from a gallows as crowds gathered around them.

The display was presented as a protest against US and Israeli policies, according to Iran International.

The scene was not an isolated act of anti-American or anti-Israeli theatre. During the funeral ceremonies for Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in early July, crowds in Tehran repeatedly called for revenge against Trump and Netanyahu. A Trump effigy was hanged along the funeral procession route, while posters carried messages demanding the killing of both leaders.

Iran Mock Executions Follow Weeks of Death Threats

The latest display came after a series of increasingly personal images aimed at Trump and his family.

On 15 July, a huge billboard appeared at Enghelab Square showing Trump lying inside an open black coffin. The image carried the words 'We Will Kill Trump' in Persian and English. Another billboard in Tehran's Palestine Square went further, portraying Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and his five children, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump and Barron Trump, above coffins draped in American flags. The slogan was 'Blood for Blood'.

The imagery matters because the threats have increasingly moved beyond Trump himself.

In July, an Iran-linked video targeting Melania Trump was released under the title 'Where to Kill Melania?' The footage discussed places she was said to frequent in New York and included a threat directed at her son Barron. The Secret Service was reported to be aware of the material and investigating potential threats.

Then, on 24 August, Iranian state television broadcast another video targeting Barron Trump, the president's 20-year-old son. The programme, reportedly produced by media affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was titled 'Where and how should we kill Barron Trump?' It claimed that Barron was being monitored and alleged a $10 million (£7.34 million) bounty had been placed on him. The US Secret Service confirmed it was aware of the broadcast and said it investigates anything that can be perceived as a threat to its protectees.

That allegation remains an allegation. The reported bounty and claims that Barron's movements were being tracked have not been independently established by the material cited in these reports.

Iran Mock Executions Echo Khamenei Funeral Chants

The language surrounding Trump has nevertheless been explicit.

At Khamenei's funeral in July, mourners were reported calling for the deaths of Trump and Netanyahu, while an effigy of Trump was displayed hanging from a rope. One speaker, poet Mohammad Rasouli, directly questioned why Trump was still alive and urged the crowd to regard his killing as a duty. The crowd responded with cheers and chants of 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel'.

The funeral also featured posters portraying Trump and Netanyahu as wanted figures, with crosshairs over their faces and messages calling for their deaths. One reported poster even offered land as a reward for anyone who killed both men.

There is an important distinction between those July chants and Saturday's Tehran display. The available reporting on the 22 August gathering confirms that Trump and Netanyahu effigies were symbolically hanged, but it does not independently establish that the crowd at that particular event was chanting specifically for their deaths.

What is clear is the progression of the imagery. Trump has appeared as a corpse inside a coffin, his entire family has been portrayed above coffins, Melania has been targeted by an assassination-themed video, and Barron has now been singled out in a state television broadcast.

Latest US-Iran War Update

The US-Iran war remains unresolved nearly six months after fighting began, with Washington expanding sanctions against Tehran while diplomatic efforts continue. On Tuesday, Pakistan said it had made 'significant progress' during talks in Tehran focused on ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, Iran threatened retaliation over new US sanctions targeting 60 individuals, entities and vessels. An oil tanker was also struck near the Strait of Hormuz, although its crew was unharmed.

The US has not yet confirmed a diplomatic breakthrough, leaving the conflict suspended between renewed pressure and attempts at negotiation.