US Citizens at Khamenei's Funeral: Who Are They and Why Are They Provoking Anger in Washington?

The funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, was not merely an event involving Iranian society. Amidst the millions of mourners who followed the six-day series of processions in various cities, public attention was drawn to the presence of a number of foreign influencers, bloggers, and activists, including several United States citizens. They stated they came to Iran as a form of solidarity and to voice a narrative different from the views of the United States and Israel.

The Times newspaper reported that the head of Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation, Mohammad Mahdi Imani Pour, told the Tasnim News Agency that around 400 foreign bloggers and influencers came to Iran to attend the funeral procession. Among the foreign guests, a number of figures from the United States came under the spotlight due to their significant influence on social media.

One of the most prominent was Jackson Hinkle. The 26-year-old American influencer was seen on a stage in a field in Tehran leading chants in English, shouting ‘Destroy the United States’ and ‘Destroy Zionism’, while waving a red flag. Footage of his actions circulated widely on various social media platforms. Hinkle is known as a supporter of a political current he calls ‘MAGA Communism’. He is also a founder of a new organisation called the American Communist Party, which is distinct from the long-established Communist Party of the United States.