– Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday in a reported Israeli airstrike.
– Many Iranian critics of the country’s regime expressed celebration on social media over Haniyeh’s death. They posted mocking hashtags in Persian and supported Israel on Instagram.
– These critics often oppose Iran’s funding of groups like Hamas instead of domestic investment. One analyst said they flooded posts celebrating Haniyeh being referred to as “cutlet.”
– A British Persian news site ran a cartoon of Haniyeh embracing Iran’s leader with Israel painting a target on his back.
– Israel’s Persian Instagram saw high engagement on a pro-Israel post after the killing, getting 32,000 likes in three hours.
– However, one analyst said it’s too early to predict if this means renewed domestic protests in Iran, as security forces have cracked down on celebrations before.
Source: VOA NEWS
