Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof calls Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ‘most hated figure’ after death in U.S.-Israel strike

Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, director of The Seed of the Sacred Fig, has spoken out following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed Saturday in a joint U.S. and Israeli military strike, according to Iranian state media.

In a social media post published Sunday, Rasoulof described Khamenei as “the most hated figure in the contemporary history of Iran,” adding that “death was a cheap end.” He further characterised the late leader as embodying “the darkest possible dimensions of modern human existence under the shelter of fake religion and holiness.”

Khamenei, who was 86, had led the Islamic Republic since 1989. In recent years, his government faced mounting domestic unrest, including large-scale protests driven by economic hardship, corruption and political repression. Iranian authorities reported additional casualties from the strikes, including senior military officials.

Rasoulof is one of Iran’s most internationally recognised directors, though his work has long been banned in his home country. In 2024, he left Iran for Germany after receiving a prison sentence and flogging order linked to the production of The Seed of the Sacred Fig, which went on to win the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

His earlier films have also drawn scrutiny from Iranian authorities. In 2011, after the Cannes premiere of Goodbye, Rasoulof was sentenced to prison alongside fellow director Jafar Panahi on charges related to alleged anti-state activities. He later received a suspended sentence. His passport was confiscated in 2017 following a screening of A Man of Integrity abroad.

Khamenei’s death has sparked mixed reactions inside Iran, with reports of public celebrations in parts of Tehran alongside demonstrations by supporters of the late leader.