Iran International
Hardline Iranian lawmaker Hamid Rasaei has sparked intense controversy after publishing a social media post that many interpreted as an indirect swipe at Mojtaba Khamenei, drawing sharp criticism from supporters of the Islamic Republic.
The backlash began after Rasaei shared a post titled "Who is Qualified for Leadership?" on his Telegram channel on Thursday. Many observers interpreted the post as a veiled reference to Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new Supreme Leader.
In the post, Rasaei highlighted a verse from Surah Hud containing God's direct response to Noah regarding his drowned son. In the verse, God states that the son is not truly part of Noah’s family due to his disbelief and unrighteous conduct, warning Noah against questioning divine matters beyond his knowledge.
Because this religious story is widely known among Iranians, the idiom “Noah’s son” is frequently used in Iranian culture to describe a wicked or rebellious child who falls into bad company despite having pious parents.
Allegations of disrespecting the Leader
Some media outlets, several political figures from various factions, and many social media users said that in this post, he had implicitly characterized Mojtaba Khamenei as an unrighteous, wayward son of his father.
"What is the relevance of bringing up the issue of leadership under the current circumstances—when the late martyr-leader's righteous son has succeeded him, and especially at a time when enemies are manufacturing rumors about this every single day—and then referencing the verse about Noah’s son? What on earth was Rasaei’s motive for spinning such a ridiculous, convoluted narrative?,” Asr-e Iran website wrote.
Ruhollah Jomei, a journalist and official under the Rouhani administration, suggested that Rasaei’s post effectively revealed plans by Saeed Jalili's camp and the Paydari Front to undermine Mojtaba Khamenei's leadership.
Mohammad-Hossein Chavoshi, a conservative political activist, also wrote in a post: "What is the meaning of Mr. Rasaei’s message? No matter how we look at it, it leaves a bad impression," and he demanded accountability from him.
Attacking Ghalibaf despite Khamenei's praise
Rasaei’s post was notably published on the exact same day that Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written message to Parliament. In his statement, Khamenei expressed appreciation for Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s leadership, while emphasizing the need to avoid factional disputes and maintain national unity.
“Why did he post the note right after the Leader’s message thanking Ghalibaf?” one social media user questioned.
Ghalibaf, recently appointed as the head of Iran's nuclear negotiating team, is widely considered to be Khamenei's right-hand man. Nevertheless, Rasaei—who remains fiercely critical of the parliament speaker—warned him in a separate Saturday post against "repeating the mistakes" of Hassan Rouhani and Mohammad-Javad Zarif by relying on nuclear diplomacy and "pinning hopes on talks."
Who is Hamid Rasaei?
Hamid Rasaei was one of the key members of the Paydari (Steadfastness) Front, but by his own account—left the party because of differences with other members of the party's central council over a decade ago.
By his own admission, however, he feels a strong ideological closeness to the hardline party.
The Paydari Party and like-minded groups, often referred to as “super-revolutionaries”, are vehemently opposed to any negotiation or compromise with the United States, viewing it as a betrayal of the 'ideals of the Islamic Revolution' as well as the viewpoints of Ali Khamenei.
Rasaei’s defense
Rasaei defended himself by publishing another note, saying he had simply reshared an older piece of his writing and that it was published several hours before Mojtaba Khamenei’s message.
He insisted that he was among the very first to vouch for Mojtaba’s personal qualifications for leadership, even introducing him as a suitable option for leadership two days after the news of Ali Khamenei's killing was announced.
Mehdi Ghasemzadeh, a social media activist, wrote that based on the Leader's recommendation, it might be better to accept Rasaei's explanations and avoid fueling disputes.
However, he noted that if someone from another political group had written such a note, it would have triggered protests by Rasaei's like-minded allies at nightly gatherings of government supporters.
Tehran’s unveiling of a towering statue depicting the Roman Emperor Valerian kneeling before pre-Islamic Persian King Shapur I has renewed criticism of the Islamic Republic’s appeal to nationalist sentiment following the June war with Israel.
For over forty years, the theocracy purged ancient Persian history from schoolbooks, replacing it with post-Islamic narratives. But after the 12-day conflict with Israel, officials have turned to the distant pre-Islamic past to rally a divided society.
From murals of ancient kings and soldiers to patriotic songs added to Shi’ite mourning ceremonies performed before Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Tehran now embraces imagery once deemed heretical by its own revolutionary ethos.
'Kneel before Iran' campaign
Tehran’s Revolution (Enghelab) Square was the scene of an unusual spectacle on Friday as officials unveiled a massive bronze statue depicting Roman Emperor Valerian kneeling in submission before Sassanid King Shapur I, commemorating Iran’s victory at the Battle of Edessa (260 AD).
The event was held under the slogan “Kneel before Iran,” part of what authorities describe as a campaign to project “national unity and historical pride” following the June war with Israel.
Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, a staunch ultraconservative, said on X: “Enmity with Great Iran can only end in kneeling before this historic nation.”
Municipal official Davood Goodarzi said the installation would be accompanied by visual displays depicting “other victories of Iranians over foreign aggressors,” including the defeat of British forces by local commander Rais-Ali Delvari, Mirza Kuchak Khan’s resistance against Russian troops, and Surena’s triumph over Rome at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BCE.
The goal, Goodarzi said, is “strengthening concepts such as national dignity, social unity, and Iranian identity.”
The statue, he said, would remain temporarily at Revolution Square before being moved to a city gateway “where it will stand as the first emblem of Iran before diplomats and foreign visitors.”
Unveiled women were allowed to attend the unveiling ceremony—an uncommon scene at events organized by Tehran’s ultra-hardline municipality.
The turn to the pre-Islamic past
The sharp reversal also recalls remarks once made by Khamenei. In a 2011 speech, he asserted that “all the great military victories of this nation came after Islam,” dismissing pre-Islamic accounts as “things that are not documented.”
In 1987, he had said that prophets triumphed over kings such as Cyrus and that “nothing remains of these monarchs in history but names remembered with derision.”
Nevertheless, pro-government social media accounts have now gone so far as to circulate posters equating Khamenei himself with Shapur, showing him standing with a staff as Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump kneel before him. The caption reads: “You will kneel before Iran.”
'Hypocrisy'
Pro-government figures have hailed the move as a patriotic success. Conservative political reporter Hossein Saremi posted: “Today’s grand Iranian gathering showed that people and the state share one essence: Iran itself. Nothing can take our homeland away.”
Others, however, called the spectacle “hypocrisy.” Journalist Gholamhossein Pashaei wrote on X: “Every year you close Pasargadae to stop people from celebrating Cyrus Day, yet you unveil Shapur’s statue in Enghelab Square with drums and fireworks during Fatimiyya (mourning period)!”
Dissident commentator Hamid Asafi called the ceremony “a perfect snapshot of the Islamic Republic’s contradictions.”
On Telegram he wrote: “A week ago they closed Cyrus’s tomb out of fear of the crowds, and now they glorify Shapur in the same breath. The Islamic Republic fears living history but poses for selfies with its corpse.”
He added: “They know people no longer respond to rosaries and sermons. That’s why they’ve brought history back to the stage—in a controlled costume. If they can’t erase the past, they’ll try to own it.”
The irony deepened as UNESCO formally recognized Cyrus’s Charter as one of the earliest human-rights documents.
President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X: “Iran, the cradle of dialogue, justice, and coexistence, can still inspire peace today.”
Users swiftly replied, questioning how such pride could coexist with a government that blocks access to Cyrus’s tomb each year to those wishing to visit it on his birthday.