Iranians Mock Delayed Burial of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei Online
Iranians have taken to social media with dark humor and mocking comments over the delayed burial of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei after authorities canceled a planned procession and public farewell on Wednesday, citing security concerns.
The situation triggered a flood of posts across platforms, particularly on X, many sarcastic, angry, or openly celebratory.
One widely shared post drew a comparison to the authorities’ treatment of families whose relatives were killed during protests. Documents reviewed by Iran International show that over 36,500 people were killed by security forces during the January 8–9 nationwide crackdown, marking the deadliest two-day protest massacre in Iran’s history.
“In the past two months, Ali Khamenei did not allow families of people killed on his orders to hold funerals. Now, for five days, his body has been kept in a refrigerator and they cannot even permit his burial. What goes around comes around,” one user wrote.
Iranian media released images showing preparations at Tehran’s prayer grounds for the placement of Khamenei’s body. Another post mocked the uncertainty surrounding funeral arrangements:
“The funeral procession for Khamenei will be held online through the Shad platform,” referring sarcastically to the government-linked education app used by Iranian schools during online classes.
Some comments echoed remarks previously made by a state television host who mocked the deaths of protesters. Public anger erupted last month after Ofogh TV, run by state broadcaster IRIB and affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, aired a segment posing a multiple-choice question about where to keep the bodies of protesters transported in refrigerated trailers during the January crackdown.
“Which refrigerator do you think they are keeping Khamenei’s body in?” one user joked, suggesting options like “Netanyahu’s refrigerator,” “an ice-cream factory freezer,” or “the freezers of Antarctica.”
Other users used darker language:
“The stench of Khamenei’s corpse has spread across the Middle East and they still do not dare bury it,” one wrote.
“Six days have passed and the rotten body of Ali Khamenei is still lying on the ground,” another added.
Some circulated images of a dead rat with captions sarcastically claiming it was the first photo of Khamenei’s body.
Revenge in Digital Form
Many posts framed the mockery as symbolic revenge.
“Khamenei left deep wounds in people’s hearts and denied grieving families the right to mourn. His agents buried bodies secretly. Now, after days, his own body is still on the ground,” one user wrote.
Others referenced reports that some families were asked to pay for bullets used to kill their relatives in order to receive their bodies.
“I heard Khamenei’s body has started to rot with worms. If you don’t have money for bunker-buster bombs, at least bury him,” another post said.
One user revived a Persian saying about burial rites:
“They used to say a corpse never stays on the ground. Even if someone has no one, eventually the municipality will bury them. But six days have passed and Ali Khamenei’s body is still lying there.”
Posts also mocked supposed international implications:
“Israel said to return Khamenei’s body; the Islamic Republic must pay for the missiles it fired, or his family must admit he was part of a Mossad spy team,” sarcastically referring to past cases where families had to declare their children Basij members to receive bodies.
