The grim headline

By Alex P. Vidal

“The pride of man will be bowed down, the arrogance of men will be humiliated, and when that day comes, the LORD alone will be exalted.” – Isaiah 2:17

WHILE walking on the Avenue of the Americas (also known as Sixth Avenue) in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, one morning sometime in July 2016, the “flash” report that rolled across the facade of Fox News’ giant news ticker caught my attention.

“Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Promises Israel Will Be Wiped Off the Map Within 25 Years,” screamed the headline in the building’s scrolling news display. It was scary.

The Fox News building in New York frequently uses the “Fox News Flash” branding for rapid updates on breaking news, which would appear on its digital ticker and app.

I immediately stopped and waited for the headline to roll back, and took a “selfie” with the controversial headline in my background.

I posted it on my old Meta (formerly Facebook) account.

Iran initiated al-Quds Day in 1979, the same year its Islamic Revolution began.

The day’s activities were designed to counter Israel’s Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), which began in 1968, one year after Israel liberated eastern Jerusalem and the Temple Mount from the occupation of Jordan.

When the United States and Israel launched a military strike against Iran called “Operation Epic Fury” on Feb. 27, 2026, that Fox News 2016 headline story on the digital ticker immediately entered my mind.

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It’s been only nine years and eight months since Khamenei made the promise, and both the U.S. and Israel claimed, as of this writing, that they have killed Khamenei, 86, in the attack.

Mr. Trump announced on social media that Khamenei had died, describing him as “one of the most evil people in history.”

Iranian state TV later confirmed the death of Khamenei, 86, who had ruled since 1989, and declared 40 days of mourning.

Around 40 Iranian officials were also reportedly killed in the strikes.

The military action came after President Donald Trump gave Iran 10 days to finalize the nuclear deal, saying “bad things” would happen if the Islamic state did not comply with U.S. demands.

The U.S. insisted it attacked Iran after it refused to meet its demands on the nuclear program and missile threats.

The strikes were carried out together with Israeli forces after months of planning targeting Iranian missile facilities, naval units and military infrastructure across Iran, according to the White House.

The aim was to defend the American people and allies by removing “imminent threats” posed by Iran’s missile capabilities and actions, said President Trump.

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Iran has denied it was pursuing nuclear weapons and threatened to retaliate to attacks against its territory.

It immediately launched counterattacks throughout the Middle East in retaliation to what its foreign minister called an “unprovoked, illegal” attack by the U.S. and Israel.

Shortly after explosions were reported in the Iranian capital, BBC reported that Mr. Trump took to social media to accuse Tehran of waging an “unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder targeting the United States.”

Mr. Trump argued Iran had rejected every opportunity to renounce its nuclear program and claimed it was developing long-range missiles that could threaten Europe, U.S. troops overseas, and even “soon reach the American homeland.”

BBC also reported that the U.S. president cited the violent takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, resulting in dozens of Americans being held hostage for 444 days, as well as Iran’s proxies bombing a U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 that killed 241.

Mr. Trump had also pledged in January to intervene when Iranian security forces crushed protests amid an economic crisis.

In June 2025, the U.S. bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran.

Trump said the U.S. Operation Midnight Hammer had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.

Last summer’s U.S. attacks paved the way for a ceasefire in a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel.

Israel had launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear, military and infrastructure sites.

Tehran had retaliated by firing hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines. — Ed.)