Mehdi Iranpour

Mehdi Iranpour (Persian: مهدی ایران‌پور) was a 30-year-old boxing and kickboxing coach and champion from Kerman. He was a graduate of sociology from Shiraz University, where he had entered in 1392 (2013). His name also appears, with his father's name Morteza, in the list of the dead published by the government in February 2026. Some local reports gave his age as 38.

On Thursday, 18 Dey 1404 (8 January 2026), Kerman saw large protests across the city. Hengaw verified that he was shot by government forces shortly after leaving a sports club. A source close to his family told Hengaw that he was accompanying his students and trying to keep them away from the protests when he was targeted. He was rushed to hospital and received emergency treatment, but died of severe injuries and internal bleeding. Local accounts named him and Alireza Sakhi, a zurkhaneh owner and father of one, as two well-known athletes of Kerman killed that day. HRANA lists him among its confirmed victims in Kerman.

The Sociology Association of Shiraz University announced his death as one of its former students. Videos of his funeral and fortieth-day memorial were later shared on social media.