As tensions flare between Iran and Israel, old tweets from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s official account are being shared widely across social media this week.
The posts, some over a decade old, are generating a mix of nostalgia, humour, and criticism as users delve into content few expected to see from Iran’s top cleric.
The internet unearthing the supreme leader’s decades-old tweets and rebranding him during a war is truly something https://t.co/K1SkJxTuft
— Farnoush Amiri (@FarnoushAmiri) June 20, 2025
One tweet recalls Khamenei describing his school days: “I went 2school w/a cloak since1st days;it was uncomfortable 2wear it in front f other kids, but I tried 2make up 4it by being naughty&playful”
The tweet has been screenshotted, meme’d, and quote-tweeted.
Some social media users joked, “U have nothing 2 B ashamed of. You’re just as naughty and playful as ever.”
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on
Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Another teased: “born to be playboi carti, forced to be ayatollah”.
Another post reads like marriage counselling from an unexpected source: “Man has a responsibility to understand #woman’s needs and feelings and must not be neglectful toward her #emotional state.”
The internet responded swiftly. “Why the fuck is the Ayatollah giving me good relationship advice?” one person asked.
“Looks like the account has been compromised,” another joked.
Part time supreme leader, Full time marriage counselor and Book reviewer. https://t.co/FwJm0YNQVU
— m. (@Catfishdx) June 19, 2025
Others, however, saw the post as laced with hypocrisy, pointing to Iran’s restrictions on women’s rights.
“That’s funny because women in Iran want to be naughty and playful, but you kill them for taking off their headscarfs,” one social media user wrote.
pic.twitter.com/jEm45xR3jN
— tragic (@imtragiicc) June 19, 2025
In another tweet about women, Khamenei described them as “a flower”, condemning violence against them: “How evil of a man to treat a flower w/ violence and w/out appreciation.18/9/2000 #ViolenceAgainstWomen.”
A person replied, stating: “Born to be a lover, forced to be the supreme leader”, while many others asked for “Whatever he is smoking”.
pic.twitter.com/1Q9qiZwq7h
— Sharryy (@anonymous_ax5) June 20, 2025
In a 2015 tweet, Khamenei expressed solidarity with Black communities, saying: “They celebrate a day for abolition of slavery but such crimes are committed against the blacks. #EricGarner #TrayvonMartin #BlackLivesMatter.”
While some took the words seriously, noting that people in Iran are suffering themselves, many others were blunt about the disconnect between Khamenei’s words and the harsh realities on the ground. One social media user wrote, “Lol, his people are suffering worse than the ‘blacks’—relax, he doesn’t give af.”
Others responded with praise, including one who tweeted, “I apologize, Ayatollah Khamenei, I was unfamiliar with your game.”
https://t.co/FT4Wynz5nc pic.twitter.com/hAgS0al1E2
— . (@pedre_ero) June 19, 2025
