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Azerbaijani dissident grateful for Ali Larijani assassination | The Jerusalem Post

Jpost · · 930 words · By AHMED OBALI
Critique of Iranian Political Figures Ethnic Conflict in Iran Azerbaijani Identity and Rights
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-893083

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Name Calling / Labeling 85% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
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Appeal to Anger 80% confidence
Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.
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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
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Selective Omission 75% confidence
Deliberately leaving out important context or facts that would change interpretation.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

27 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 17
info Single Source 7
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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“Iran is a multi-ethnic country, composed of Persians, Azerbaijani Turks, Kurds, Baloch, Ahwaz Arabs, Lors, and Turkmen, and not a single group constitutes fifty percent of the population.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Iran is a multi-ethnic country listing various groups including Persians, Kurds, Baloch, and Turkmen. One web search result specifically lists South Azerbaijanis, Turkmen, Kurds, Baloch, Ahwaz Arabs, and Persians, and another web search notes the presence of Persians, Kurds, Lurs, Arabs, Baluchs, Turkmen, and Turkic tribes. The evidence supports the claim that it is multi-ethnic, although it does not explicitly confirm that no single group constitutes fifty percent.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan (Persian/Azerbaijani: آذربایجان, romanized: Āzarbāyjān, Persian pronunciation: [ɒːzæɾbɒːjˈdʒɒːn], Azerbaijani pronunciation: [ɑːzæɾbɑjˈdʒɑn]), also known as Iranian Azerbaijan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan_(Iran)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iran hosts a variety of different ethnicities and languages. In Iranian society, there is a prevalent sense of social cohesion in which the various ethnic groups of the country, including the Lurs, Ma…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnicities_in_Iran
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iranian Azerbaijanis are a Turkic ethnic group native to the Iranian Azerbaijan region (including provinces of East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan and West Azerbaijan). They also live in smaller numbers …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Azerbaijanis
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“South Azerbaijanis make up at least a third of the population, and for this reason, it is so crucial that Larijani was eliminated.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results mention that Iranian Azerbaijanis constitute the largest ethnic minority and that the population in the region consists mainly of Azerbaijanis, but none of the provided evidence quantifies this group's population as 'at least a third' of the total population, nor is there evidence linking this claim to the elimination of Larijani.
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web search NEUTRAL — Iranian Azerbaijanis constitute the largest ethnic minority in Iran and make up significant minorities in Tehran, Karaj, and elsewhere in Iran. [25][26][27] Most Iranian Azerbaijanis are bilingual in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Azerbaijanis
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web search NEUTRAL — In the region of Azerbaijan, the population consists mainly of Azerbaijanis. [58] Azerbaijanis are the largest group in Iranian Azerbaijan, while Kurds are the second largest group and a majority in m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan_(Iran)
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web search NEUTRAL — CASE STUDIES OF ETHNIC MINORITIES FLASHPOINTS: SOUTH AZERBAIJANI TURKS AND AHWAZI ARABS IN IRANHistorical Background: Iranian Azerbaijanis, commonly referred to as South Azerbaijani Turks, constitute …
https://astudies.org/2025/04/iran-turkiye-tensions-ethnic-mi…
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“It is true that the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the late IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani were also known for their hatred of the Azerbaijani people.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provides biographical information for both Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Qasem Soleimani from Wikipedia and web searches, but none of the provided snippets contain direct evidence confirming that either leader was known for 'hatred of the Azerbaijani people.'
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ali Hosseini Khamenei (19 April 1939 – 28 February 2026) was an Iranian politician and Shia cleric who served as the second supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until his assassination in the 2026 Iran wa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khamenei
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Qasem Soleimani (Persian: قاسم سلیمانی, romanized: Qâsem Soleymâni; 11 March 1957 – 3 January 2020) was an Iranian military officer who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). From 199…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qasem_Soleimani
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The funeral of Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian major general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was held from 4 to 7 January 2020 in some cities in Iraq and Iran – including Baghdad, Karbala…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_funeral_of_Qasem_Soleima…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Soleimani was very active against Azerbaijan during the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence confirms Soleimani's involvement in the 2006 Lebanon War and his general role in regional conflicts, but none of the provided snippets specifically detail his activities or actions against Azerbaijan during an 'Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.'
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 3 January 2024, a commemorative ceremony marking the assassination of Qasem Soleimani at his grave in eastern Kerman, Iran, was attacked by two bomb explosions. The attacks killed at least 95 peopl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Kerman_bombings
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (Persian: حسین امیرعبداللهیان; 23 April 1964 – 19 May 2024) was an Iranian politician and diplomat who served as foreign minister of Iran from 2021 until his death in a helico…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hossein_Amir-Abdollahian
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The killing of Iranian Major General and Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq by the United States brought strong reactions from around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_assassination…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“He repeatedly urged Iran to send more arms to Armenia and to support them more openly, arguing that Azerbaijanis are “non-Iranian people.””
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results mention Iran's growing ties with Armenia and the general geopolitical context involving Azerbaijan, but none of the provided evidence contains the specific quote or context where Soleimani urged arms to Armenia while arguing that Azerbaijanis are 'non-Iranian people.'
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On 3 January 2024, a commemorative ceremony marking the assassination of Qasem Soleimani at his grave in eastern Kerman, Iran, was attacked by two bomb explosions. The attacks killed at least 95 peopl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Kerman_bombings
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The killing of Iranian Major General and Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq by the United States brought strong reactions from around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_assassination…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“He insisted that any IRGC members of Azerbaijani background should be vetted multiple times and disqualified from senior positions if they had any sympathy towards South Azerbaijan and its people.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result directly states that 'He insisted that any IRGC members of Azerbaijani background should be vetted multiple times and disqualified from senior positions if they had any sympathy towards South Azerbaijan and its people.' This is the only evidence supporting this specific claim.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of aviation shootdowns, incidents and accidents during the 2026 Iran war based on visual evidence or official self-admission from involved parties. It includes proven helicopters, fixed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aviation_shootdowns_an…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Quds Force (Persian: نیروی قدس, romanized: niru-ye qods, lit. 'Jerusalem Force') is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It specializes in unconventional warfar…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quds_Force
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The killing of Iranian Major General and Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in Iraq by the United States brought strong reactions from around the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactions_to_the_assassination…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
“Larijani was the first senior member of the Iranian political elite to recommend and enforce entire TV and radio programs aimed at belittling Azerbaijanis, including children’s programs, films, TV series, and even news broadcasts.”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result directly attributes the recommendation and enforcement of TV/radio programs belittling Azerbaijanis to Larijani. No other source corroborates this specific action.
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web search NEUTRAL — Ali Ardashir Larijani[c] (3 June 1958 - 17 March 2026) was an Iranian politician, military officer, and philosopher who served as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council from 2025 until…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Larijani
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web search NEUTRAL — Larijani was the first senior member of the Iranian political elite to recommend and enforce entire TV and radio programs aimed at belittling Azerbaijanis, including children's programs, films ...
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-893083
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web search NEUTRAL — Ali Larijani was a senior official in Iran and the de facto leader of the country from supreme leader Ali Khamenei 's death on February 28, 2026, until his own death on March 17, 2026. He was uniquely…
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ali-Larijani
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“When he headed the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), he was the architect of the infamous 1995 survey that was used as a pretext to intensify attacks on Azerbaijani identity and ethnicity.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results provide context regarding Larijani's political roles and the general topic of Azerbaijani identity, but none of the provided snippets confirm that while heading IRIB, he was responsible for a specific '1995 survey used to intensify attacks on Azerbaijani identity and ethnicity.'
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of WHILE is a period of time especially when short and marked by the occurrence of an action or a condition : time. How to use while in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/while
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web search NEUTRAL — While and whilst mean the same when we use them as conjunctions. They both mean ‘during the time that something else happens’, or ‘in contrast with something else’.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/while
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web search NEUTRAL — dialect Scot and Northern English another word for until: you'll have to wait while Monday for these sheets; you'll never make any progress while you listen to me.
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/while
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“As Professor Brenda Shaffer wrote in her book Iran is More Than Persia, on May 8, 1995, the Iranian paper Ahrar reported that IRIB had conducted a survey of Iranian attitudes toward “Turk” citizens in Iran, otherwise known as Azerbaijanis.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the search results did not provide any information regarding Professor Brenda Shaffer's book or the specific report from Ahrar on May 8, 1995.
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“Among the 11 questions were: “Are you willing to marry a Turk? Would you allow your daughter to marry a Turk? Are you willing to participate in religious ceremonies (like Ashura) together with Turks? If you bought a house, would you be willing to be a neighbor of a Turk? Are you willing to live in a neighborhood or city where there is a Turkish majority? Are you willing to be friends with a Turk? Are you willing to go to the home of a Turk as a guest?””
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was gathered for this claim, and the search results did not provide the list of 11 questions from the 1995 IRIB survey.
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“According to Shaffer, “the results revealed Persian society’s extremely negative attitudes toward the group, with most respondents expressing a desire not to interact with Iran’s Azerbaijanis.”
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“The IRIB survey triggered a wave of Iranian Azerbaijani protests beginning on May 9, 1995.”
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“University students led the demonstrations that were focused on Aryan racist policies in Persian society, which have been ongoing for the past one hundred years, and on IRIB’s motives in conducting and publishing such a divisive survey.”
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“In response, Azerbaijani university students formed their own organization, the Azerbaijani Academic Society.”
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“At Tabriz University, thousands of students participated in the initial May 9 demonstrations.”
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“Azerbaijani university students also launched a letter-writing campaign to the offices of Iran’s president, the Majlis, Friday prayer leaders, and the governors of East Azerbaijan, Zanjan, and Ardabil provinces.”
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“The letters condemned the survey and demanded the right to use and study the Azerbaijani language at the University of Tabriz.”
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“During the Ahmadinejad era, the infamous caricature appeared in the official newspaper Iran.”
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“That newspaper, along with the Islamic Republic News Agency, was the only state outlet that provoked another massive city-wide Azerbaijani demonstration in the spring of 2006.”
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“Thousands were arrested and at least 12 were officially killed [during the 2006 protests].”
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“Khamenei himself was forced to appear on television and apologize.”
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“The caricature depicted Azerbaijanis as “endless cockroaches” that “cannot be ended by killing them.””
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“It called the Azerbaijani language “cockroach language” and claimed that Azerbaijanis “eat toilet s***,” suggesting they should be “sent to the toilet and hammered.””
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“Another Iranian TV program later claimed that Azerbaijanis were so stupid they did not know how to use a toothbrush, so they gave an Azerbaijani child a toilet brush and said, “This is how Azerbaijanis brush their teeth.””
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“Larijani was such a hardliner on the Azerbaijani issue that he did not even trust hardline pro-regime Azerbaijanis.”
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“When he was appointed Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, he pushed President Masoud Pezeshkian aside and ran affairs himself.”
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“The writer is a South Azerbaijani dissident journalist and heads Gunaz TV, an Azerbaijani-language news channel based in Chicago.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.