After reports of the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei were widely circulated online, with state media describing him as being in “paradise” surrounded by 72 virgins, a viral image went viral on social platforms.Posts on X and other platforms claimed the image, which originated from Iranian state media, showed Khamenei in a heavenly garden surrounded by dozens of young girls in school uniforms and headscarves – which critics interpreted as a reference to the concept of “72 virgins” in popular discourse associated with Islamic afterlife rewards.
This statement is false.There is no verified evidence that any Iranian state media published such an image. The video circulating online is a digitally manipulated composite that has been wrongly attributed to an official source.
The picture shows Khamenei sitting in a garden-like “paradise” environment, surrounded by many young girls. Many users linked the scene to the controversial “72 Virgins” theme, sparking outrage and accusations of depravity.However, several key facts disprove this claim:There is no record of the photo on Iranian state media such as Press TV, IRNA, Mehr News Agency, Tasnim or Khamenei’s official channel.This image will not appear in archived posts from verified official media accounts.Searches and archival examinations revealed no verified evidence published by Iranian media.The image appears to have been widely shared during a moment of heightened tension online and wrongly attributed to state media.
The viral image is a digitally manipulated composite.It appears to have been created by taking real photos of past events in which Khamenei met a group of female students during an official ceremony and inserting them into a fictional “paradise” or paradise-style setting.The original photos are public and date back several years.Additionally, some versions of the viral image included a fake screenshot layout that was wrongly attributed to Iranian state-affiliated media outlet Meir News Agency. There is no evidence that Mel News or any other official Iranian organization published this image.
Contrary to claims of virality, Iranian state media coverage of Khamenei’s death has been dominated by traditional mourning.State media characterized him as a martyr, using:
No verified Iranian state media has published:
Iranian state media’s description of Khamenei as having “72 virgins” in heaven is not supported by evidence.Viral images are manipulated composites that use real photos from past public events combined with fabricated backgrounds and, in some cases, fake media screenshots.There is no record of any official Iranian media publishing the report.
president Donald Trump stepped up his criticism on Tuesday british prime minister Keir Starmer initially refused to allow US warplanes…
A viral Facebook post captivated the singer Cher Controversy arose after she secretly hid $1.2 million in taxes. The allegation…
Evacuation: AI brings back 143 cockpit and crew members from its and Air India Express flights stranded in Dubai New…
The devastated family of 21-year-old University of Texas student Savitha Shan, who was shot to death by a gunman at…
Jammu: fifteen months ago Lashkar-e-Taiba Investigators who killed 25 tourists and a Kashmiri pony trainer at Baisaran in J&K's Pahalgam…
"Today" host Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing for 31 days since she was last seen outside her…