Iranian auteur Mohammad Rasoulof has publicly condemned the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed on Saturday in a combined U.S. and Israeli military strike. In a significant social media post, Rasoulof, a prominent figure in Iranian cinema, described Khamenei as “the most hated figure in the contemporary history of Iran.” He further elaborated that for Khamenei, who died at 86, “death was a cheap end,” representing “the darkest possible dimensions of modern human existence under the shelter of fake religion and holiness.” This marks the first public comment by a major Iranian director on Khamenei’s demise.

Rasoulof’s strong words come from a place of personal experience, having recently escaped to Germany in May 2024. His flight was prompted by a jail and flogging sentence handed down by Iranian authorities for his film “Sacred Fig,” which went on to win the special jury prize at Cannes. His career has been marked by persistent conflict with the Iranian regime, whose authorities have frequently banned his films from screening in his home country.

In 2011, the same year his censorship-themed film “Goodbye” earned him two prizes at Cannes, Rasoulof, alongside fellow director Jafar Panahi, was sentenced to six years in prison and a 20-year ban on filmmaking for alleged anti-regime propaganda. Although this sentence was later suspended and he was released on bail, his struggles continued. In 2017, Iranian authorities confiscated his passport upon his return from the Telluride Film Festival, where his film “A Man of Integrity,” which explored themes of corruption and injustice in Iran, had been screened.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the second leader of the Islamic Republic, ruled Iran with an iron fist since ascending to power in 1989. His tenure was characterized by the suppression of protests, which in January reportedly led to thousands of killings as popular anger simmered amid hardships caused by economic sanctions and widespread corruption. According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency and other outlets, the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that killed Khamenei also resulted in the deaths of Iran’s chief of army staff and defense minister.

The death of Khamenei has elicited varied reactions. In the Iranian capital of Tehran, some celebrated with fireworks and street dancing on Saturday, while Khamenei’s supporters also staged protests. Meanwhile, the geopolitical situation escalated on Monday, with the U.S. and Israel intensifying their attacks against Iran. In response, Iranian forces retaliated with missiles and drones targeting Israel and neighboring Gulf states where U.S. military bases are located. The prospect of Iranian regime change remains a complex issue, given the regime’s deep roots despite widespread opposition, and the potential for unpredictable political developments in the ensuing power vacuum.