Columbia University said it does not recognize or engage with a student coalition that posted anti-American messages on social media after the reported death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The group, calling itself Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), reacted to news of Khamenei’s assassination by describing it as “devastating news.” In a separate post later deleted, the coalition wrote “Marg bar Amrika,” a Persian phrase that translates to “Death to America” and has long been associated with Khamenei’s public rhetoric.

University officials emphasized that CUAD operates outside the framework of officially recognized student organizations. “Columbia has not, and will not, recognize or meet with the group,” the university said, according to statements circulating online.

CUAD described itself as a coalition of anti-Israel student organizations and claimed to function independently of the university’s formal oversight. After its “Marg bar Amrika” message was removed from the social media platform X for violating platform rules, the group stated that it deleted the post to regain account access but maintained the underlying sentiment.

Khamenei had repeatedly defended the slogan during his tenure. In remarks made roughly a decade ago, he argued that chants of “Death to the U.S.” reflected opposition to American policy rather than hostility toward the American people, framing the phrase as rooted in Iran’s ideological foundations.

The controversy follows heightened tensions on college campuses nationwide amid escalating conflict in the Middle East. Columbia in particular has faced scrutiny in recent years over campus protests and demonstrations that have spilled into public spaces in Manhattan.