Iran's Murderous Khamenei Eulogized by WaPo, NYT

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When Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, died in the first American strikes against the theocratic regime, the media responded with eulogies that echoed their previous praise of other Islamist extremists. The New York Times described Khamenei as a "hard-line cleric" who "turned the Islamic Republic into a regional power, brutally crushing dissent at home." The Washington Post went further, describing Khamenei as having an "easy smile" and being "fond of Persian poetry and classic Western novels," despite his role in turning Iran into a repressive state.

Why it matters

The media's response to Khamenei's death highlights a troubling pattern of downplaying the brutality of Islamist leaders, even as they violently suppress their own people. This raises concerns about the media's ability to objectively report on authoritarian regimes and their leaders.

The details

Khamenei, who had recently overseen the slaughter of tens of thousands of Iranians and cut off internet access to prevent them from sharing their oppression with the world, was the head of a literal Islamic state. Yet the media outlets still struggled to avoid directly condemning him, with the New York Times describing him as a "hard-line cleric" and the Washington Post painting him as an "avuncular" figure who enjoyed literature.

• Khamenei died in the first fusillade of American strikes against the Shi'a theocratic regime on February 28, 2026.
• In October 2019, the Washington Post faced backlash for its obituary of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which described him as an "austere religious scholar."