From National Hero to Tel Aviv’s Favourite? Ali Karimi Fuels Anti-Resistance Propaganda

According to Saed News, Ali Karimi, once beloved as the “Wizard of Tehran” for his dazzling football career, has plunged into deeper political controversy after sharing an unsubstantiated claim targeting slain Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar. Karimi alleged that Sinwar, assassinated by Israel in 2024, had fought alongside Saddam Hussein’s regime against Iran during the 1980–88 war—a charge contradicted by evidence that places Sinwar in Israeli prisons throughout much of that period.

Critics argue that Karimi, now living abroad and estranged from the Iranian political mainstream, has effectively become a mouthpiece for anti-resistance narratives that serve Israeli interests. The claim was quickly picked up and lauded by Hebrew-language accounts, triggering accusations that Karimi is consciously aligning himself with Tel Aviv’s information campaigns. “To be praised by occupiers for attacking a martyr is not dissent—it’s betrayal,” wrote one Iranian political commentator.

This is not Karimi’s first foray into inflammatory rhetoric. From defending foreign sanctions to undermining figures of the Palestinian resistance, his transformation from athlete to activist has taken a sharp ideological turn. For many Iranians, the cost of his newfound stardom abroad is his credibility at home. Critics describe him as a case study in how fame, disconnected from responsibility, can evolve into political recklessness.

What remains of Karimi’s domestic legacy is now deeply contested. As Gaza reels from ongoing Israeli aggression, many in Iran view his remarks not just as offensive—but dangerously aligned with the machinery of occupation and disinformation.