The New York Times came under fire on social media this weekend for the way it framed the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in its coverage, according to Fox News.
The paper’s obituary headline read, “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hard-Line Cleric Who Made Iran a Regional Power, Is Dead at 86.” Within the same piece, the longtime leader was characterized as “avuncular and magnanimous,” wording that many online critics deemed far too generous.
According to the Times’ write-up, “With his spectacles, Palestinian kaffiyeh, long robes and silver beard, Ayatollah Khamenei cast himself as a religious scholar as well as a writer and translator of works on Islam. He affected an avuncular and magnanimous aloofness, running the country from a perch above the jousting of daily politics," the NYT's obituary read, which triggered strong reactions across political circles and social media platforms.
Montana Senator Tim Sheehy, among others, offered his own suggested headline mocking the Times’ phrasing, writing, “Radical Islamic terrorist who murdered thousands of Americans got what he deserved.” Other commentators argued that the obituary’s tone downplayed Khamenei’s record, pointing to his government’s role in widespread executions and crackdowns against protesters. The article itself noted past instances in which Khamenei’s regime allegedly issued “shoot-to-kill” orders during uprisings, referencing deadly protests in early 2022 and again in January 2026.
Media figures also weighed in, Fox News reports. Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen reacted with disbelief, writing, “You can’t be serious.” Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton responded with the phrase “mostly peaceful,” a jab recalling CNN’s widely critiqued 2020 coverage describing Kenosha unrest as “fiery but mostly peaceful.” Meanwhile, News Nation’s Batya Ungar-Sargon remarked, “You don’t have the media enough,” and Jason Bedrick of the Heritage Foundation was blunter, calling the Times “garbage.”
Facing mounting criticism, The New York Times’ communications team defended the obituary in a post to X. “The Times’s obituaries report and reflect lives in full, illuminating why, in our judgment, they were significant. We fairly and accurately include the newsworthy details of each life and death, and don't treat them dishonestly to score points like you’re trying to do here," the communications team wrote. The response was directed to the Libs of TikTok account, which had critically highlighted the headline.
The Washington Post also drew heat for its own choice of words, Fox News reports. Its obituary described Khamenei as “avuncular” with an “easy smile,” noting his appreciation for Persian poetry and Western classics, including Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. It continued, "With his bushy white beard and easy smile, Ayatollah Khamenei cut a more avuncular figure in public than his perpetually scowling but much more revered mentor, and he was known to be fond of Persian poetry and classic Western novels, especially Victor Hugo’s 'Les Misérables.' But like the uncompromising Khomeini, he opposed moderates’ efforts to promote political and social reforms domestically and to secure rapprochement with the United States.”