Iran International
Within hours of Mojtaba Khamenei being named Iran’s new Supreme Leader, state institutions responded with solemn messages of loyalty while Persian-language social media filled with satire, as many Iranian users reacted with disbelief, political frustration and dark humor.
Rather than confronting the official narrative head-on, many posts mocked the opaque and unusual circumstances of Mojtaba’s rise – especially the emergence of a leader who, for many Iranians, remains almost entirely unseen.
The jokes fall broadly into several recurring themes.
‘A leader no one has seen'
Many jokes focus on Mojtaba Khamenei’s near-total absence from public life.
Unlike most senior political figures, Mojtaba has rarely appeared in speeches or interviews, and only a handful of recordings of his voice are publicly known.
Some users turned this into a technological joke. One widely shared post said:
“There isn’t even enough audio of Mojtaba Khamenei for AI to train on to make a fake voice of him.”
Others simply pointed to the unusual situation more directly.
“We are entering the second day of Mojtaba Khamenei's leadership, and still nobody has seen him.”
Several posts framed the absence through humor about remote work – a concept familiar to many younger Iranian users.
“If you like working remotely, the best job is Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Nobody asks where you are, what you’re doing, or even whether you’re alive.”
Another post used religious imagery to exaggerate the idea that he has remained invisible.
“We’re in a situation where the appearance of Mahdi is more likely than the appearance of Mojtaba.”
Mahdi – the messianic figure awaited in Shiite Islam – frequently appears in Iranian satire as a way of describing events considered extremely unlikely.
Another viral joke suggested Mojtaba’s leadership was almost abstract.
“In the phrase ‘Mojtaba’s leadership,’ the literary device being used is personification.”
The remark plays on a Persian rhetorical term used in literature classes, implying that leadership is being attributed to something that has not visibly acted.
'The only known quote'
Another recurring joke centers on how little Mojtaba Khamenei has publicly said.
One of the few widely circulated videos attributed to him shows him announcing that his religious classes would be canceled.
That short clip has now become a punchline.
One post summarized the situation: “The only existing quote from Imam Mojtaba Khamenei: ‘Next week there will be no class.’”
The post was accompanied by a parody image styled like the decorative wall murals commonly seen on schools and public buildings in Iran, where passages from religious figures and political leaders are often painted alongside floral designs.
In the satirical version circulating online, however, the wall bears only the mundane line about next week’s class being canceled – recasting an ordinary notice as the supposedly defining quotation of a newly appointed Supreme Leader.
Other jokes focused on Mojtaba’s lack of a public résumé. One post mocked the situation using corporate language:
“You don’t have a résumé, you want to work remotely, you got the job through connections – and you don’t even have a photo for your CV so they have to generate one with AI.”
Another user suggested that even performing a simple task could count as experience.
“At least bury your father so you can have one executive job on your résumé.”
‘Schrödinger’s Khamenei’
A darker strand of satire reflects the uncertainty and speculation that often accompany major political events in Iran.
Some jokes played with the idea that Mojtaba’s status remains ambiguous because he has not appeared publicly.
One widely shared post referenced the famous physics thought experiment known as Schrödinger’s cat:
“I think instead of Schrödinger’s cat we’re dealing with Schrödinger’s Khamenei. Until they show him, we don’t know whether he’s alive or dead.”
Some posts jokingly suggested that naming Mojtaba as leader could solve several political problems at once.
“Announcing Mojtaba as leader was actually smart. You can’t kill someone who’s already dead.”
Another post used similarly blunt humor:
“You know what’s better than one dead Khamenei? Two dead Khameneis.”
Other jokes focused on the strange overlap between the funeral of the late leader and the introduction of the new one. One user wrote sarcastically:
“Right now the Islamic Republic has two leaders on earth – one they won’t bury and another they won’t reveal.”
Even the burial itself became a subject of dark humor.
“The only reason they haven’t buried Khamenei yet is to save funeral costs – they’re waiting a few days to bury Mojtaba too.”
Much of that privileged access is believed to operate through so-called “white SIM cards” – mobile lines exempt from Iran’s filtering system that allow direct access to blocked platforms such as X, Telegram and Instagram.
Spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani did not directly refer to those SIM cards but spoke about the government-imposed national internet blackout, saying Tehran is instead offering connectivity to “those who can better deliver the message.”
According to internet monitoring group NetBlocks, the Iranian government has been promoting its agenda through whitelisted online services while the public remains in a digital blackout
“The regime continues to promote its agenda through whitelisted networks, cultivating media assets at home and abroad,” NetBlocks said on Friday, six days into the latest round of nationwide internet shutdown.
This is while President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed in early December to deactivate the so-called “white SIM cards” that grant unfiltered access to a circle of state-linked users.
“We have instructed that these white internet lines be turned black as well, to show what will happen to people if this blackness continues,” he said.
Pezeshkian has repeatedly promised to lift filtering, a key pledge of his 2024 presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, Iran’s nationwide internet shutdown has continued for more than 240 hours, marking one of the most severe government-imposed nationwide blackouts ever recorded globally and the second longest in the country’s history after the January protests, according to NetBlocks.
The group said on Tuesday that Iran has now spent roughly a third of the year 2026 offline.
The players – Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramezani-Zadeh and Mona Hamoudi –left the team’s hotel in the city of Gold Coast and are currently in a safe location. The development comes after days of tension surrounding the team during an Asian tournament in Australia.
The issue caught the attention of President Donald Trump who posted twice on Truth Social on Monday — first after learning that the players were seeking asylum following threats from senior Iranian officials, who warned them of harsh punishment for refusing to sing the Islamic Republic’s anthem.
Later, Trump confirmed he had spoken with Australia’s Prime Minister.
“I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia concerning the Iranian National Women’s Soccer Team,” Trump wrote. “He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way.”
In a heartfelt post, Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, shared photos with the football players on X and wrote that they are “welcome to stay in Australia to be safe and have a home here.”
The players were required to wear compulsory hijab during all public appearances while representing the national team.
Anthem protest triggered pressure and threats
The controversy surrounding the team began earlier in the tournament when members of the squad refused to sing the national anthem of the Islamic Republic before their first match against South Korea.
Images of the players and coaching staff standing silently during the anthem quickly spread on social media, with many interpreting the gesture as a protest against the government.
In their second match against Australia, however, the players were seen giving a military salute and singing the anthem after what reports described as threats and warnings from security officials accompanying the delegation.
An Iranian state television host later threatened the team on air, saying both the public and officials should treat them as “war-time traitors.”
Bus incident and support from Iranians abroad
Tensions escalated further after the team’s final match, when videos circulated online showing Iranians living in Australia attempting to stop the team bus as it left the stadium.
A witness told the Australian broadcaster SBS that several players had also remained seated on the field after the team’s final match against the Philippines and appeared reluctant to leave, raising concerns they were under pressure and did not want to return to Iran.
SBS earlier reported, citing two sources who visited the team’s hotel, that the players were under “very tight security measures” imposed by Iranian officials. The sources said authorities appeared concerned that some players might attempt to seek asylum.
Appeals for protection and uncertainty over return
The situation prompted appeals from activists and opposition figures who warned the players could face serious consequences if they return to Iran.
Exiled Prince Reza Pahlavi wrote on X that members of Iran’s women’s national football team were under significant pressure and ongoing threats from the Islamic Republic because of their refusal to sing the anthem, urging the Australian government to ensure their safety and provide support.
Journalist and activist Masih Alinejad also called on Australia to protect the players, saying they faced potential danger if returned to Iran.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Iranian authorities had a record of harsh repression.
“We know this regime has brutally murdered many of its own people. We know this regime has brutally oppressed many Iranian women, and we stand in solidarity with the men and women of Iran, particularly Iranian women and girls,” she added.
Meanwhile, Iranian football officials say the team’s return has been complicated after flights back to Iran were canceled following recent regional tensions. Farideh Shojaei, head of the women’s team delegation, said officials are exploring alternative routes for the team’s return.
According to Shojaei, Iranian football authorities have been in talks with airlines and other officials to arrange a new travel route. Some federation officials have reportedly traveled to Turkey to coordinate possible transit arrangements, raising the possibility that the team could be flown to Turkey and then transported overland by bus to Iran.
Iran’s women’s national football team, which had traveled to Australia to compete in the tournament, was eventually eliminated from the competition. It remains unclear when the remaining members of the team will leave Australia.
