Jerusalem – The Iranian regime’s newspaper, linked to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, lauded a man who reportedly killed Americans and Israelis in Washington, D.C., referring to him as “our dear brother.”
Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old from Chicago, allegedly shot and killed Sarah Milgrim, a 26-year-old American from Kansas, and her 30-year-old Israeli boyfriend, Jaron Lisinski, claiming he did it “for Palestine, for Gaza.”
The paper, Kayhan, wrote on Saturday, “Our dear brother Elias Rodriguez, who killed two Israelis in the United States, founded Washington Bassiji.” The Basij is a paramilitary group in Iran tasked with suppressing opposition to Khamenei’s regime.
Editor Hossein Shariatmadari, known for his strong anti-American views, questioned, “Is there any news about our dear brother Elias Rodriguez, who sent two Zionists to hell with bullets?”
The extent of praise for the killings from Iranian media has astonished even veteran analysts of the regime.
One commentator pointed out, “Iran is openly endorsing terrorist actions against Israel on U.S. soil. Kayhan, as Khamenei’s mouthpiece, celebrates the attack on the Israeli Embassy staff in Washington. It’s hard to quantify how troubling this is.”
A witness at the shooting scene noted that the perpetrator admitted, “I did this for Gaza.”
The timing of this editorial from Khamenei-controlled media coincides with discussions within the Trump administration regarding a temporary nuclear deal with Iran. Reports suggest that the U.S. might consider easing sanctions in exchange for Iran halting its nuclear weapons ambitions.
However, U.S. officials have consistently asserted they would not relinquish the right to uranium enrichment, a path that could lead to nuclear weapon development. Since the mid-1980s, the U.S. has labeled Iran a significant supporter of terrorism.
Vatan-e-Emruz, another newspaper aligned with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, has similarly praised the shootings of the two embassy staff members.
Jason Brozky, a policy director at UANI, remarked, “These disturbing articles highlight that the Iranian regime remains an anti-Semitic state sponsor. It’s sadly in line with past instances when Kayhan has praised Hitler.”
Brozky expressed concerns regarding the U.S. administration’s reliability amidst these statements, emphasizing caution in negotiations involving sanctions relief in exchange for non-proliferation promises.
“The true nature of the Islamic Republic is reflected in these articles, not in the diplomatic smiles we see during negotiations,” he noted.
Beni Sabti, an Iranian expert at the National Security Institute, shared with Fox News Digital that this climate of fear is directed at the U.S. as well.
“It’s important for Americans to understand the threats they face,” he said.
Sabti pointed out that Vatan-e-Emruz’s support for the shooting symbolizes a belief that the act was revenge and that Elias represents an Islamic tradition, drawing parallels to historical figures who killed non-believers.
