12,000 Dead—Regime Hides Truth With OLD Photos

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei just got caught red-handed peddling fake propaganda to his own people, posting photos from a 2020 funeral as evidence of current pro-regime support while his Islamic Republic crumbles under the weight of nationwide protests and brutal crackdowns that have left thousands dead.

Story Snapshot

Khamenei posted photos on January 12, 2026, claiming massive pro-regime rallies in Tehran, but images were actually from General Soleimani’s January 5, 2020 funeral
The propaganda stunt comes amid nationwide protests that began December 28, 2025, with opposition groups reporting approximately 12,000 deaths from regime crackdowns
Women-led defiance has become a symbol of resistance, with protesters burning Khamenei’s image and toppling statues of IRGC figures across Iran
Regime imposed internet blackouts and raided homes for Starlink equipment while circulating AI-generated and dated photos to project false strength

Regime Propaganda Exposed as Desperate Deception

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted images on X on January 12, 2026, allegedly depicting massive crowds rallying in support of his regime in Tehran that very day. Independent verification by multiple outlets confirmed these photos were recycled from January 5, 2020, during the funeral procession for IRGC General Qasem Soleimani, killed by a U.S. airstrike days earlier. This brazen deception occurred while authentic protests raged across Iranian cities, with demonstrators demanding freedom from the oppressive Islamic Republic that has strangled their nation since 1979.

The timing of this propaganda reveals the regime’s panic. Opposition groups accurately identified this as a desperate attempt to mask fractures within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and project unity where none exists. When a government resorts to posting six-year-old photos as current events, it signals weakness, not strength. The regime’s willingness to engage in such obvious fraud demonstrates how far the mullahs will go to maintain their grip on power, even as that grip visibly weakens with each passing day of protest.

Brutal Crackdowns and Communications Blackout

The Iranian regime launched a comprehensive assault on its own citizens after protests erupted on December 28, 2025, initially over crushing cost-of-living increases. Demonstrations quickly evolved into broader anti-regime movements, reaching peak intensity on January 8-9, 2026. Iran International reported approximately 12,000 deaths from the crackdowns, though exact casualty figures remain difficult to verify due to regime censorship. Security forces conducted home raids targeting Starlink equipment and satellite dishes, desperate to blind foreign media and prevent protest coordination through independent communications channels.

The regime imposed sweeping internet blackouts across major cities including Tehran, allowing only selective access to X for pro-regime propaganda posts while throttling opposition voices. This digital stranglehold represents classic authoritarian overreach—the government attacking the very tools that enable free speech and assembly. Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian labeled protesters as foreign-funded rioters and terrorists, refusing to acknowledge legitimate grievances about economic hardship, mandatory hijab enforcement, and IRGC dominance that trace back decades through the Islamic Republic’s oppressive rule.

Women Lead Defiance Against Islamic Controls

Iranian women have emerged as powerful symbols of resistance, defying religious controls imposed by the theocratic regime. A striking trend saw young women lighting cigarettes using photos of Khamenei, a deliberate rejection of both the Supreme Leader and Islamic prohibitions. These images spread globally, becoming instant icons of Iranian resistance. The protests build on momentum from the 2022 demonstrations following Mahsa Amini’s death in morality police custody, when women led opposition to mandatory hijab laws that restrict their fundamental freedoms and dignity.

Demonstrators in cities like Qaemiyeh and Mashhad toppled statues of Soleimani and desecrated regime symbols, directly targeting the IRGC martyrdom cult the regime has cultivated since 2020. Some protesters chanted pro-Pahlavi slogans, referencing Iran’s pre-1979 monarchy. These acts represent more than vandalism—they symbolize rejection of the entire Islamic Revolutionary project. The regime responded with staged rallies in small venues, including a Tehran square holding only 3,000 people, further exposing the gulf between their propaganda claims and reality on the ground in Iran.

Iran stages Khamenei photos to mask cracks in IRGC, opposition groups say https://t.co/S13C2vQoJV

— ConservativeLibrarian (@ConserLibrarian) February 2, 2026

President Trump promised aid and action for Iranian protesters, while Senators Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham criticized the regime’s atrocities and predicted leadership change. Representative Claudia Tenney joined in amplifying defiance imagery. The European Union designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, adding to U.S. sanctions pressure. These developments signal growing international recognition that the Islamic Republic’s days may be numbered. Khamenei made his first public appearance in late January at Ayatollah Khomeini’s tomb, attempting to project stability, but his reliance on fake photos and AI-generated rally images reveals a regime running scared of its own people’s righteous demand for freedom from tyranny.