TEHRAN, Iran — Following Nelson Mandela's death, a large number of Iranians expressed their sadness by posting condolences on social media, and Iranian officials from various political affiliations either expressed condolences or visited the South African Embassy in Tehran to pay their respects. It was also announced that Iran would name a street after Mandela. However, despite appearances, the Iranian people and officials were sharply divided over what Mandela represented and how he related to Iran’s divided political landscape.
Nothing symbolized this divide more so than that despite expressing his desire to travel to South Africa to attend Mandela’s ceremony and represent Iran, former President Mohammad Khatami appears to have failed to have his travel ban lifted for this event, a political decision that many Iranians on social media who are hoping to have better relations with the world called a “missed opportunity.”
