Iran’s Regime Hits New Low: Loyalists Recite Poetry to an Empty Chair for Missing Ayatollah
In the latest sign of desperation within Iran’s crumbling theocracy, regime supporters have taken to reciting passionate poems to an empty chair meant to represent the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The viral video, shared widely on March 12, 2026, captures loyalists addressing the vacant seat with fervent verses, as if the absent leader could still hear their praise. This bizarre ritual follows months of rumors and confirmed reports of Khamenei’s death in late February 2026 during joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, which also left his son and would-be successor Mojtaba Khamenei sidelined or incapacitated amid the ongoing succession crisis.
The post by Throwback Iran on X summed it up bluntly: “The chair ayatollah. Just as we were getting used to cardboard ayatollah, regime supporters have unveiled something new. They are literally reciting poems to Khamenei’s chair lol.”
In the clip, one devotee declares lines such as “O Leader of the faithful, your light guides us still” and “In your absence we remain steadfast against the enemies of Islam,” pouring out devotion to the empty space. Another voice intones poetic praise about eternal loyalty and divine protection, treating the chair as a stand-in for the vanished figurehead.
Critics point out the theological absurdity: such idol-like veneration of a mortal leader—or even his furniture—clashes with core Islamic principles of monotheism. As one reply noted, “He’s literally the hidden imam now. Their idol-worshipping is next level—which anyone who even has basic theological understandings, knows it negates one’s Islamic/monotheistic beliefs.”
This stunt comes after earlier propaganda flops, including ceremonies pledging allegiance to a photograph of Mojtaba Khamenei, who has barely appeared in public since the strikes. The regime’s frantic efforts to project continuity only highlight its fragility: a leadership vacuum, internal purges, street protests, and growing mockery from Iranians and observers alike.
The empty chair speaks louder than any speech the ayatollahs could give. The Islamic Republic’s grip slips further with every absurd display.