Fact Check: Is the resurfaced image of Barack Obama bowing to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei real?

WASHINGTON, DC: A viral image showing former president Barack Obama bowing to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has ignited debate across social media. 

The image quickly spread across social media platforms shortly after the US launched airstrikes on key Iranian nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — on Saturday, June 21. But is the image real? Let's find out below. 

Claim: Barack Obama bowed to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

The image, primarily circulating on X (formerly Twitter), shows former president Barack Obama bowing to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is seated in the photo.

The post seems to have been originally shared by conservative comedian Terrence K Williams on Facebook with the caption, "Sums it up." Williams has previously been fact-checked for spreading misinformation.

Though initially posted by just one user, the image quickly gained traction across X and other social media platforms.

An account under the handle @patpet1776 shared the same image, captioned with a skeptical question: “Anybody remember this?” accompanied by a thinking emoji.

The user later claimed that AI chatbot Grok had said the photo was real, writing, “Grok says this picture is real and this happened. Many of us remember it.” The AI endorsement further fueled the rumor, with more users joining in and sharing similar sentiments.

One user added to the speculation, writing, “They bowed to each other though. Obama bent lower. That was the story. That the President bowed lower."

Fact Check: False, Barack Obama has never bowed to Ali Khamenei

Despite gaining traction online, the viral image and accompanying rumor alleging that Barack Obama bowed to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been thoroughly debunked. According to TimesNowWorld, the claim is false, and a fact-check by AFP confirms the image was manipulated.

Bill McCarthy, a digital investigation journalist at AFP, also addressed the issue on X, writing, “This image purporting to show Barack Obama bowing to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has resurfaced after US strikes on Iran."

He explained, "It is an old fake that edited together a photo of the former president letting a boy touch his hair with a shot of Iran's supreme leader," attaching the real photos. 

The original image of Obama, taken in May 2009 by White House photographer Pete Souza, shows the president leaning down so the young son of a staffer could touch his hair. a moment widely shared at the time.

The photo of Khamenei, meanwhile, dates back to 2005 and was captured during a formal ceremony attended by then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.