Old video used to falsely claim Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is alive
Claims have spread on the social media platform Facebook alleging that the news of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is false and that he himself stated in a video message that he is alive. However, a fact-check reveals that the video is old and pertains to a different event.
A video of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was posted from a Facebook page named The Frontline BD, which claims to be a UK-based media outlet. In the video, Ali Khamenei is seen speaking while standing with a microphone in hand. The caption claims, “Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei himself said in a video message that he is alive and the news of his death is false.”
To date, the video has been shared over a 100 times and viewed 12,000 times. In the comments, some expressed satisfaction at the news, while others voiced suspicion. Some others believe the video was created using AI (Artificial Intelligence).
A keyframe search shows that the video was published by multiple media outlets (1, 2) on February 13. According to multiple media reports (1, 2), Ali Khamenei delivered this televised message following the spontaneous participation of the Iranian people in the 22nd of Bahman (February 11) rallies marking the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
The anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution is observed on the 22nd day of Bahman, the 11th month of the solar Hijri calendar. This year, on February 11, the people of Iran took to the streets to celebrate the 47th anniversary. The following day (February 12), Ali Khamenei delivered that speech to the nation. The announcement of the speech was also made from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
In this video, Ali Khamenei’s clothing color, standing posture, and the background fully match the circulated video. In the 2:10-minute video spreading with the claim that he is alive, Ali Khamenei is seen delivering a speech in Persian.
An English translation of his words in the video stands as: “In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. There is no power or might except by God, the Exalted, the Magnificent. Dear nation of Iran, yesterday, the twenty-second day of Bahman this year, you performed a great deed. You made Iran proud. You supported the Islamic Republic, as always, and added to its power. The enemies who, in their statements and in their planning, seek the surrender of the Iranian nation, became disappointed. You performed this great deed yesterday with divine success, and God Almighty will grant the reward of such a presence and such a massive movement to the nation, and that will be greater dignity, greater authority, and more complete independence, God willing. Effort should be made to preserve national connection and cohesion. Let us all try. This national cohesion is very precious, very valuable. For a nation to come to the streets and repeat a single word, a single slogan, and a single objective, this is very valuable. And to practically show that they are present on the scene and can flaunt their identity and their character to their enemies. I thank the entire nation of Iran and offer my abundant greetings to each and every one of those who were present yesterday in this massive national country-wide gathering.”
In short, Ali Khamenei made no statement regarding claims of being alive in this video. This speech by Ali Khamenei was published on February 12 following the celebration of the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. The video of that speech has recently circulated as a video message of him being alive.
The Iranian state news agency IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency) confirmed the news of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei March 1 morning.
