Iranians Mock Khamenei’s ‘Victory’ Speech from Hiding: “You Hid While Others Died”

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s televised declaration of victory in the recent war with Israel and the United States has triggered a torrent of public ridicule from Iranians, many of whom dismissed the message as a delusional display broadcast from hiding. The backlash reflects deepening public disillusionment with the regime’s war narrative, particularly as funerals for slain commanders continue across the country.

According to a report by Iran International English on Friday, 4 July 2025, Khamenei’s 26 June speech, aired from an undisclosed location, claimed that Israel had been “brought to its knees” and that Iran had delivered “a harsh slap” to the United States. The 86-year-old cleric has not appeared in public since the start of the twelve-day conflict, and the secluded nature of the broadcast drew fierce criticism from citizens who saw it as a sign of cowardice rather than leadership.

One viewer told the outlet, “You hid while others died. Then you reappeared to lecture us from a camera.” Others compared the reclusive setting to a bunker, accusing Khamenei of hiding underground while Israeli leaders walked freely among their people. Some described him as delusional and out of touch, suggesting he had spent too long in isolation to grasp the reality on the ground.

Tehran residents said the leadership’s claims of victory contradicted visible signs of defeat — especially the high-ranking deaths within the military hierarchy. They pointed to reports that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had allegedly requested safe passage from Israel just to exit Iranian airspace as further proof of weakness, not triumph.

One contributor remarked that after nearly fifty years under this regime, citizens had become conditioned to invert official statements: when leaders say victory, the people interpret it as loss. Another wrote, “We’re tired. We’ve survived forty-six years of war, lies, and plunder. Enough.”

Khamenei’s absence from the funerals of IRGC chief Hossein Salami, Armed Forces head Mohammad Bagheri, and slain nuclear scientists has fuelled speculation about growing fractures at the top of Iran’s power structure. His non-appearance at annual mourning ceremonies in Tehran was also seen as highly unusual.

One defiant submission predicted a day of reckoning: when citizens would rise up without weapons, raise a new flag, and leave “no bunker and no lie left to hide behind.”