Fact Check: Old Video of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Falsely Shared as Post-Strike Response
Claim :
People on social media say Khamenei spoke after the strike to deny rumours that he had died.Fact :
The video being shared is from 12 February 2026, almost two weeks before the strike and before reports of Khamenei’s death.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes on key military and government facilities, triggering a 40-day national mourning period across the country.
Iranian state media said the strike targeted a high-level Defence Council meeting and killed several senior officials, including Chief of Army Staff Abdol Rahim Mousavi, Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh and senior security figure Ali Shamkhani. More than 200 people were reported dead and over 700 injured, with dozens of officials among the casualties.
In the aftermath, Tehran was reported to have launched retaliatory strikes across parts of West Asia, including in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait. US President Donald Trump called Khamenei’s death a major opportunity for the Iranian people and warned that further precision strikes could follow, as tensions escalate amid stalled nuclear talks and an expanded US naval presence in the region.
Amid these, a two-minute video of Ali Khamenei speaking is being widely shared on social media. Users claim the video shows him addressing the nation to dismiss reports of his death.
The claim surfaced after Israel and the United States carried out strikes on Iran on 28 February, following which reports emerged stating that Khamenei had been killed in the attacks.
You can find the archived link of the post here.
Fact Check:
The Claim is misleading. The widely shared video claiming to show Ali Khamenei speaking after the strike is not recent. It dates from 12 February 2026, weeks before the reported attack and before rumours of his death emerged.
During our investigation, we conducted a reverse image search. Which led us to an Instagram post dated 13 February, shared by Mehr News.
The post was published two weeks before the strike.
According to its caption, when translated, the visuals showed Khamenei honouring people who took part in the 22 Bahman rallies.
We also found Khamenei's official account also shared similar visuals of the late leader speaking on 12 February.
A translated version of his website, which carries all of Khamenei's public addresses, also shared a photo and a transcript of his speech about the 22 Bahman rallies.
Using a screenshot from the video, Lead Stories conducted a reverse image search on Google Images. The search showed that the video of the speech first aired on February 11, 2026.
https://english.almanar.com.lb/article/22087/
We found Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran posted in their official social media, The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali #Khamenei, lived a pious life, loved #Iran, secured Iran's independence, opposed foreign domination, and worked tirelessly for our country's resilience and fortitude. His last phase of life—an honorable and dignified death as a martyr on the 10th day of Ramadan at the hands of the most corrupt and criminal individuals on earth—turns him into an inspiring legend in the history of Iran and Islam. He will remain a living nightmare for his killers forever.
Several media outlets, like The Times of Israel and Al Jazeera, published articles regarding Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death.
Hence, the viral claim that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke after the strike to dismiss rumors of his death is misleading. The video being circulated is not recent and was recorded on 12 February 2026, nearly two weeks before the reported strike.
