The Iranian government website PressTV, owned by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), published multiple screeds insulting slain conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on Wednesday, mere hours after an assassin ended his life by shooting him in the neck during a public speaking event.
Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth advocacy group Turning Point USA, had been engaged in a tour of American college campuses as the fall semester began, encouraging civil debate across ideological lines. He was debating students on the campus of Utah Valley University when he was shot and killed in front of an audience of nearly 2,000 people. The suspect remains at large at press time. He was 31 years old and leaves behind his wife, Erika, and two children.
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The political commentator’s death has elicited responses of grief from around the world, noting his legacy of encouraging young people to debate civilly. The Iranian Islamist regime, however, focused instead on its coverage of demonizing Kirk for his ardent support of Israel and clear denunciations of the regime, the world’s premier state sponsor of terrorism.
PressTV referred to Kirk as a “radically conservative close ally of US President Donald Trump” and a “genocide denier” for refusing to condemn Israel’s ongoing war against the genocidal terrorist organization Hamas, which Iran bankrolls to the tune of $100 million a year. Tehran regularly accuses Israel of engaging in “genocide” by targeting Hamas terrorist leaders and destroying terrorist infrastructure used to attack Israel in Gaza, a region directly controlled by the terrorist organization.
In its initial report on the killing, PressTV described Kirk falsely as having an “extreme right-wing lean” and claimed that his well-attended Utah Valley University event had triggered “heavy backlash.”
“His death came amid widespread domestic and international resentment at Trump’s conservative and arbitrary policies,” the report added, providing no evidence for this alleged resentment. A poll by the Daily Mail/J.L. Partners published last week showed Trump enjoying his highest approval ratings ever.
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PressTV published a separate article on Thursday – the 24th anniversary of the jihadist terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 – virulently disparaging Kirk and falsely referring to him as “one of the most controversial and divisive conservative voices in the United States.”
Kirk, it claimed, espoused a “venomous and deeply problematic brand of politics” and “willingly made himself a conduit for the most extreme elements of the American right.”
“He will be remembered as someone who denied genocide in Gaza, amplified lies about the Palestinian struggle against the Zionist occupation, and framed the Zionist colonial project as a beacon of ‘democratic values,’” PressTV continued. The Iranian propaganda site went on to list some of Kirk’s political positions that are most noxious to the Iranian regime, including his “staunch opposition to Iran, unwavering support for the Israeli regime and its military aggressions, and a dismissive or accusatory stance towards Palestinians.”
It noted that Kirk visited Israel on multiple occasions and that his support for Israel made him an “apologist for the child-murderers.” It then went on to imply that the Israeli government killed him.
“In an interesting twist though, many are recalling Kirk’s words that he feared being murdered by the Israeli regime if he ever changed his political perspectives, with the jury still out on this,” it claimed, without offering any evidence of Kirk’s alleged “words.”
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“In line with the established Zionist position, his rhetoric was unflinchingly critical of the Iranian government,” PressTV recalled, apparently disapprovingly. “He consistently framed Iran as a primary adversary, often highlighting its nuclear program as ‘an existential threat to regional stability and US security.’”
Kirk was indeed an unflinching opponent of the Iranian jihadist terror regime, though notably an opponent of a full-scale American invasion of Iran or any attempt at American-led regime change. Writing for Breitbart News in 2019, Kirk encouraged President Donald Trump to use economic leverage to weaken and potentially erase the murderous regime, rather than endanger the lives of American troops.
“Were we to set aside the military option for now, and were we to resist the temptation to try to placate the non-placatable who are the Iranian mullahs, we would recognize that this is the time to levy the most oppressive and severe economic sanctions in modern history,” he wrote. “The Iranian economy cannot withstand strangulation, and we could very likely crumble the regime without firing a shot. I’m more than happy to send in an American cleaning crew to wipe up the mess. I’m not as excited to send in American troops to make one.”
Kirk described Iran as a “a terrorist regime committed to the spread of sharia law, the obliteration of Israel, and the imposition of a worldwide caliphate.”
He retained both those stances during Trump’s second term. In June, Kirk appeared on Newsmax and discouraged a full-scale war with Iran.
“They were a great power for a thousand years. Not even the Romans could defeat Persia. Now, I’m not saying they’re comparable to our Marines or to our Air Force, but is that really the battle that we want in front of us?” he asked, crediting Trump with understanding the risks involved in war.
Kirk’s support for Israel prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to post an emotional statement honoring his legacy on Wednesday, revealing that Kirk was planning to soon visit Israel again.
“Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization,” Netanyahu stated. “I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place. We lost an incredible human being. His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact.”
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