Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has earned the deragatory nickname "Moush-Ali," Persian for "Rat-Ali," following his rush to hide underground due to fears of an imminent strike by the US, Iran International reported.
Among the chants using Khamenei's nickname is, "Cry out, Moush-Ali, Pahlavi is coming." Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah's son, is the heir to the Persian throne and currently exiled due to the danger he would be in under IRGC rule.
The nickname, which is becoming poplar on social media, has been used both online and at recent rallies in Iran and throughout the Iranian Diaspora. It originally gained traction during Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, after Khamenei disappeared into an underground shelter, Iran International noted.
Sources told the site that Khamanei is now hidden in an underground fortress with a maze of tunnels.
The Persian word "moush," meaning "rat" is used as a metaphor for avoidance and timidity, especially in context of running from danger.