New York Times Stands By Its Reporting on Iranian Ayatollah’s Health

Don Emmert/Getty Images

The New York Times stood by its reporting on the health of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a Thursday statement, the publication said:

Iranian state media has reported comments made by an official that a New York Times correspondent must “admit a mistake” in her coverage of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in order to attend a press conference with President [Ebrahim] Raisi. We stand by our reporting by Farnaz Fassihi on the health of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which was corroborated by senior sources. Iranian officials were given the opportunity to comment on our story and chose not to respond.

We stand by our reporting on the health of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which was corroborated by senior sources. Iranian officials were given the opportunity to comment on our story and chose not to respond. Read our full report: https://t.co/rzvhxGQd5j pic.twitter.com/bNpIoD4a0I

— NYTimes Communications (@NYTimesPR) September 22, 2022

Fassihi reported on Sept. 16, citing “four people familiar with his health situation,” that Khamenei “canceled all meetings and public appearances last week after falling gravely ill and is currently on bed rest under observation by a team of doctors.”

Fassihi also reported, citing one of the four sources, that Khamenei “had surgery sometime last week for bowel obstruction after suffering extreme stomach pains and high fever.”

The statement from the New York Times standing by its reporting comes as there have been widespread protests in Iran against the regime since last week’s death of Masha Amini, who died after reportedly being attacked by police after not properly wearing the mandatory hijab.