With tensions boiling between Iran and Israel in June 2025, social media’s turned into a bizarre treasure hunt, unearthing old tweets from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s official account Khamenei Twitter Archive. These posts, some dating back over a decade, have exploded online, racking up screenshots, memes, and quote-tweets. The Supreme Leader, Iran’s top cleric and political heavyweight, isn’t exactly known for viral content, so seeing his musings on school days and women’s rights has users laughing, cringing, and throwing shade.
“Khamenei’s tweets are like finding your grandpa’s diary—sweet, awkward, and full of contradictions,” a Tehran-based blogger quipped.
The posts range from quirky to preachy, offering a glimpse into a leader who’s both a theocratic strongman and, apparently, a guy with opinions on love and Black Lives Matter. As Israel’s strikes on Iran dominate headlines Israel-Iran Conflict 2025, these tweets are a sideshow that’s stealing the stage, exposing Iran’s image problem under global scrutiny.
One tweet has users in stitches: Khamenei reminiscing about his school days, cloaked in traditional garb. “I went to school with a cloak since the first days; it was uncomfortable to wear it in front of other kids, but I tried to make up for it by being naughty & playful,” he wrote Khamenei School Tweet. The internet pounced. Memes flooded X, with one user joking, “U have nothing 2 B ashamed of. You’re just as naughty and playful as ever” X User Reaction.
Another quipped, “Born to be Playboi Carti, forced to be Ayatollah” X Meme Response. The humor’s sharp, but it’s more than laughs—it’s a jab at a leader whose regime clamps down on youthful freedom while he waxes nostalgic about his own.
“Khamenei’s out here reminiscing like he’s at a high school reunion, while his morality police crack skulls,” a London-based Iranian activist said, rolling her eyes.
Marriage Advice from a Mullah
Then there’s Khamenei’s take on relationships, sounding like a self-help guru in a turban. “Man has a responsibility to understand woman’s needs and feelings and must not be neglectful toward her emotional state,” he tweeted Khamenei Relationship Advice. The internet lost it. “Why is the Ayatollah giving me solid relationship advice?” one user posted, half-baffled X User Shock.
Others smelled a hack. “Looks like his account’s been compromised,” a skeptic joked X Hack Comment. But the real heat came from critics pointing out Iran’s brutal record on women’s rights. Under Khamenei, mandatory hijab laws have led to arrests and worse—Mahsa Amini’s 2022 death in custody sparked nationwide protests Mahsa Amini Protests. One user didn’t hold back: “Funny how women in Iran want to be naughty and playful, but you jail them for ditching headscarves” X Women’s Rights Critique.
“Khamenei’s preaching love while his regime enforces fear,” a women’s rights advocate in Tehran said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Flowers and Hypocrisy
Khamenei doubled down on women’s issues in another tweet, calling them “a flower” and condemning violence against them: “How evil of a man to treat a flower with violence and without appreciation” Khamenei Violence Against Women. The internet had a field day. “Born to be a lover, forced to be Supreme Leader,” one user teased X Lover Meme. Others begged, “Whatever he’s smoking, pass it” X Smoking Joke.
But the jokes mask a grim reality. Iran’s government, under Khamenei’s watch, enforces strict dress codes and gender segregation, with morality police accused of violent crackdowns Human Rights Watch Iran. The disconnect between his flowery words and Iran’s policies is a goldmine for critics, who see these tweets as proof of a regime out of touch.
“Calling women flowers while locking them up? That’s peak mullah logic,” a Dubai-based commentator scoffed.
Solidarity or Show?
In a 2015 tweet, Khamenei waded into U.S. racial politics: “They celebrate a day for abolition of slavery but such crimes are committed against the blacks. #EricGarner #TrayvonMartin #BlackLivesMatter” Khamenei BLM Tweet. Some users took it seriously, noting Iran’s own oppressed minorities, like Kurds and Baluchis, face similar state violence Iran Minority Rights. “His people are suffering worse than the ‘blacks’—relax, he doesn’t care,” one blunt reply read X BLM Critique.
Others were impressed. “I apologize, Ayatollah Khamenei, I was unfamiliar with your game,” a user tweeted, half-joking X Praise Response. But the praise rings hollow when you consider Iran’s record: dissenters jailed, executions high, and minorities sidelined UN Iran Human Rights Report. Khamenei’s nod to Black Lives Matter feels more like a geopolitical jab than genuine solidarity.
“Khamenei’s tweeting about justice like he’s MLK, but his own backyard’s a mess,” a New York-based Iranian exile said, shaking his head.
Why Now?
The timing of this tweet frenzy isn’t random. Israel’s June 2025 strikes on Iran, targeting energy sites amid rising tensions, have put the Islamic Republic under a global microscope Israel-Iran Strikes. Social media’s amplifying old posts to mock, critique, or just marvel at Khamenei’s online persona. It’s a mix of nostalgia for a simpler internet era and a chance to poke at a regime facing heat from all sides.
Iran’s government isn’t blind to this. Khamenei’s account, run by aides, has been active since 2007, blending propaganda with personal anecdotes to humanize a leader who’s anything but approachable Khamenei Twitter History. The strategy worked better in quieter times. Now, with Iran reeling from strikes and internal unrest, these tweets are a PR landmine, highlighting the gap between rhetoric and reality.
“Khamenei’s team thought they were crafting a wise sage. Instead, they gave us a meme machine,” a social media analyst in Cairo laughed.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t just about viral tweets—it’s about Iran’s struggle to control its image. Khamenei’s posts, meant to soften his aura, now fuel ridicule and rage. They expose a regime preaching virtue while enforcing control, a contradiction that’s glaring as Israel’s attacks stoke fears of wider conflict Middle East Tensions. Social media’s turned these old words into a mirror, reflecting Iran’s domestic failures and global isolation.
The hypocrisy stings most. Tweets about women’s dignity clash with Iran’s morality police beating protesters. Solidarity with Black Americans rings false when Iran’s own citizens face state violence. As users dig up more posts, the memes keep coming, but so does the criticism, especially from Iranians abroad and activists at home Iranian Diaspora Reactions.
“Khamenei’s tweets are a gift to his critics and a headache for his PR team,” a political scientist in Istanbul said, smirking.
What’s Next?
As Iran and Israel’s conflict heats up, expect more of Khamenei’s digital past to surface. Social media’s a ruthless judge, and every old tweet is a potential landmine. Iran’s regime might try to scrub or spin these posts, but the internet’s memory is long. For now, the world’s laughing, mocking, and calling out the contradictions, but the stakes are higher than likes and retweets. These tweets are a window into a regime under pressure, both from enemies abroad and dissent at home.
“Khamenei’s tweeting like a poet, but ruling like a fist,” a young Iranian activist said, her voice heavy with defiance.
The Supreme Leader’s digital ghost is haunting him, and the world’s watching with a mix of amusement and outrage. In a time of war, that’s a dangerous spotlight.
