The government of Iran published a written message on Monday allegedly written by “supreme leader” Mojtaba Khamenei, musing on the aftermath of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and claiming Iranian women as a cornerstone of the jihadist “revolution.”
Mojtaba Khamenei assumed the title of “supreme leader” in March, succeeding his father Ali Khamenei who was killed by the American “Operation Epic Fury” on February 28. The younger Khamenei has not been seen in public since he was appointed dictator of the country, nor has he filmed any video messages or recorded any audio. The Iranian government’s secretive attitudes about Khamenei resulted in the eruption of widespread rumors that he had been significantly injured or disfigured in the American attacks, or that he had been accused of homosexuality.
The Iranian regime has not addressed any such rumors and offered no further information on Khamenei. Instead, “Khamenei” periodically publishes statements thanking the Iranian people for their alleged support and vowing revenge on President Donald Trump. The statement published on Monday was not a major deviation from his past statements save for an aside praising Iranian women for allegedly supporting the Islamic “revolution.” Speaking of the ongoing war with the United States, Khamenei boasted that “our compatriots have adorned the public squares and streets throughout the country with their enthusiastic, responsible presence, warming the hearts of those fighting for Islam while striking fear into the enemy.”
“Over 30 million Iranians have declared their willingness to sacrifice their lives,” he claimed. “Today, there are various declarations of readiness throughout Islamic Iran, particularly for armed participation, creating an arena in which our people will gain honor and their enemy disgrace.”
“There were days when the heroic spirit of the people of this land was recognized through its men. But today, we live in times where women surpass men in several arenas with their courageous presence,” his statement continued.
In reality, the Iranian people have repeatedly expressed their disgust with the jihadist regime, often at the price of their lives. Widespread protests attracting thousands of people have erupted repeatedly in Iran in the past decade, always concluding with the regime using disproportionate violence to torture, kill, and otherwise silence its citizens. The last round of such protests began in December in response to inflation skyrocketing, creating a subsequent cost of living crisis. The Iranian regime is estimated to have killed upwards of 35,000 people in January 2026, overwhelming the country’s hospitals and morgues, to stop the protests. Iranian officials only admitted to about 5,000 deaths and claimed the protesters were the killers.
Women have prominently led many of these rounds of protests. Prior to the 2026 protests, the largest round of civil unrest in Iran was driven by a movement known as “Women, Life, Freedom,” prompted by the brutal murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Amini, a Kurdish woman, was stopped by Iran’s “morality police” thug forces and accused of wearing her hijab improperly. The officers beat her to death.
Iranian officials killed untold numbers of protesters, many of them women, in response to the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement. In 2024, Iranian regime officials announced that they would open a “hijab removal treatment clinic” to offer “psychological treatment” for women who opposed wearing the mandatory head covering. Human rights activists noted that Iran has a history of using psychological torture on political prisoners and dissidents generally and that the “treatment clinic” would likely be a torture center for dissident women.
Iran’s history of abuse of women makes Khamenei’s praise in the statement especially outrageous . It was part of a larger missive, however, reminiscing about the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, which he claimed to be the product of “colonialism” by the United States, Israel, and Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party.
“The Islamic system rose like a phoenix, more vigorous and stronger than before, and with a more resounding voice and loftier flight,” he said of that war.
“I, as a servant of the dear people of Iran, declare that those bygone days to which our enemy longs to return have passed and will never be repeated,” Khamenei continued. “For the phoenix that arose from the ashes of the First Imposed War has now, under the pressure of enemy hostilities and particularly the two recent Imposed Wars, grown so majestic that the shadow of its flight now extends over the lands of the enemy as well.”
Khamenei also took a moment to praise late Hezbollah terrorist boss Hassan Nasrallah and condemning Israel’s ongoing war against Hezbollah in Iran.
The younger Khamenei’s status remains a mystery at press time. He notably skipped his father’s funeral – which the Iranian regime timed to coincide with the 250th birthday of the United States – while his siblings attended. Subsequent reports citing anonymous sources familiar with the Iranian regime claim that the absence of a true enforcing dictator at the top of the regime has prompted power struggles, particularly between the military and diplomatic wings of the state.
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