TEHRAN – Carlos Latuff has spent more than three decades documenting the Middle East through the lens of political cartooning, becoming one of the most widely shared and reproduced satirists covering US and Israeli policy in the region. Speaking to the Tehran Times following the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei in coordinated US-Israeli strikes, Latuff reflects on the moment he learned the news, why he chose to center his response on the Supreme Leader himself, and how decades of drawing Iran have shaped his view of Western media coverage.
Below is the full text of the interview:
Where were you, and what was your first reaction, when news of the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei reached you? How long passed between hearing the news and picking up your pen?
I must have received that news while checking social media. Two things crossed my mind at that moment. First, the US and Israel started this war. Second, this barbaric act would not intimidate the Iranian people—quite the opposite. By assassinating Ayatollah Khamenei, they made him even stronger. They turned him into a martyr! I make a habit of following the news on shortwave radio, and to illustrate one of my listening sessions, I created an illustration of Ayatollah Khamenei.
https://youtu.be/TgczODdh9vI?is=DIy1PN4qLrp8-vEG
Of everything happening that day — the strikes across Tehran, the killing of multiple senior officials alongside Ayatollah Khamenei — what made you choose to center your cartoon specifically on the Supreme Leader rather than the broader attack?
I have been following the acts of aggression by the US and Israel against Iran since last year, but for a long time I have been producing cartoons addressing the moves made by various Tel Aviv governments—with Washington’s backing—against the Iranian nuclear program. I chose the image of Ayatollah Khamenei precisely because he is a leader—not merely a politician elected to a four-year term, but a legitimate representative of an entire people.
How has the reaction to this piece to other major cartoons you’ve produced over your career — in terms of how widely it spread, who shared it, and where it ended up being reproduced?
I have been a cartoonist since 1990, and I notice that some cartoons not only have a greater impact but have also become historical documents. When I address the issue of Iran, I feel that these cartoons play a historical role; they serve as records for history—specifically, telling the story from a perspective different from the one told by the West.
You’ve spent decades documenting what you see as Washington following Israeli strategic interests. Does this assassination feel like confirmation of that pattern, or did it surprise you in its scale or method?
I believe that in this second term, Donald Trump bet on the rise of the far-right worldwide, the apathy of Western leaders, and US economic and military might to impose his will. This strategy worked in the Western world but failed against powers like Russia and China—and now Iran—given that none of Trump’s objectives regarding the Persian nation were achieved. Regarding Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu relies on historic support from the White House, as Israel acts as a satellite for US interests in the Middle East; under Trump, he sought to pursue riskier paths. Not content with bombing a densely populated region like Gaza—an act the UN has already labeled genocide—he capitalized on Washington’s support to attack Iran and, now, Lebanon. There is, however, an interesting aspect to this situation: for Netanyahu, peace means prison. As long as he maintains this permanent state of war, he remains free from the courts, where he faces numerous corruption charges. It is therefore in his interest to keep fueling the war in order to remain free and unpunished. It is also worth noting the contrast regarding sanctions: while Russia faces all manner of sanctions over Ukraine, Israel faces none for its own actions.
Do you think there’s a double standard in how Iran is held accountable by international media and institutions? Where do you see it most clearly?
There is not the slightest doubt about this. The impression I get when receiving news about Iran is that the Western mainstream media acts as a sort of public relations arm for Washington and Tel Aviv. When it comes to Iran, what takes place is not journalism, but rather propaganda aimed at demonization.
You’ve turned your attention to the 2026 World Cup, a subject far from war reporting on its surface. What political story did you want to tell through a sporting event, and how does covering something like football change your visual approach compared to conflict reporting?
Every now and then, I hear someone say, “Let’s not mix politics with soccer.” Yet politics is present in all human activities—even the simplest ones—so why should soccer be an exception? And how could anyone imagine that a figure like Trump wouldn’t use the World Cup as a political tool? Naturally, the Iranian team would become a target of this. This World Cup has become a stage for the worst kinds of practices, thanks to Trump’s alliance with FIFA President Infantino, who is utterly subservient to Trump’s dictates.
If you were to create one more image specifically for the funeral period, what would it show — would it look backward to the assassination itself, or forward to what comes next for Iran?
A martyr never dies. Someone who gives their life for a cause—for their country—will live forever in the hearts of their people and inspire them in the struggle against their enemies.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: tehrantimes.com
