On November 16, pro-Israel social media users flooded X with claims that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was in a coma and his health condition was deteriorating. Netizens also circulated photos and videos, allegedly showing Iranian people protesting, burning, and ripping Khamenei's posters in the streets.
Social Media Abuzz With Misinformation After Alleged Khamenei’s Coma
Social media users widely circulated a photo claiming to show Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hospitalized after falling into a coma on November 16.
An X shared the photo with the caption, “Looks like the mere thought of Trump back in the White House was too much for Khamenei to handle! As soon as Trump won the election, the Supreme Leader fell into a coma out of sheer terror. SAD!”
Misbar's team investigated the photo and found it to be outdated. Tasnim News Agency uploaded the photo in 2014.
The photo features former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visiting the Supreme Leader after he underwent reported prostate surgery.
No official sources reported Ayatollah Ali Khamenei falling into a coma. On November 17, a day after the claim spread, Iran's Supreme Leader shared a photo on X showing him meeting with Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani.
Social media users shared a video claiming to show an individual setting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's picture on fire in the streets of Iran during daylight.
Misbar’s investigative team traced the original video back to June 2023. DW Persian uploaded it to X, showing a young man stepping out of a car and setting fire to a large poster of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the side of a street.
Moreover, netizens circulated a video claiming to show a large billboard featuring Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's picture being set on fire by Iranian protesters recently.
A reverse image search found the footage to be older than claimed. The video shows the 2022 protests against the compulsory hijab and the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
In addition, pro-Israel users widely shared a video clip claiming to show recent protests in Iranian streets after the Islamic Republic allegedly blocked access to social media platforms WhatsApp and Instagram.
Misbar’s team found the footage to be misleading. The video clip also dates back to the 2022 protests against the Islamic Republic regime.
Social media users falsely shared another video claiming to show protesters tearing down posters of Khamenei during a recent protest. Pro-Israel users speculated whether the footage marked “the beginning of the end for the Iran Regime.”
Misbar’s investigative team found that footage was published on X in September 2022. According to the publisher, the video shows protesters tearing down posters of Khamenei from a municipality building in Sari, located in the Central District of Sari County, Mazandaran Province, Iran.
The 2022 Mahsa Amini Protests Against The Iranian Regime
The death of Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked widespread protests against the Iranian regime on September 16, 2022, which continued into 2023.
The “Morality Police” detained Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old from Saqqez, on September 13, 2022, for allegedly violating Iran’s mandatory hijab law by wearing her hijab “improperly” while visiting Tehran.
According to reports, officers beat Amini severely, and she died three days later. Her death sparked protests that began in her hometown of Saqqez and rapidly spread to other cities across Iranian Kurdistan and the rest of the country.
In response, the government implemented severe measures, including internet blackouts, social media restrictions, and the use of tear gas and gunfire.
By September 2023, the government's crackdown resulted in at least 551 deaths, including 68 minors, and the arrest of an estimated 19,262 individuals across 134 cities, towns, and 132 universities.
On March 6, 2024, the U.N. accused Iran of committing crimes against humanity, but the Iranian government dismissed the charge.
On September 13, 2024, the United Nations reported that Iran intensified efforts to repress women and girls on the second anniversary of the nationwide protests.
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