Iranian-American comedian Max Amini sparks backlash over 'species' remarks on Iranian people

Iranian-American comedian Max Amini sparks backlash over 'species' remarks on Iranian people Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 08/18/2026 - 19:33 Amini told Bill Maher that those fighting the US and Israel are a 'species with no morals', prompting accusations of dehumanisation Max Amini attends the 'Cast Aside The Clouds' Los Angeles premiere at Lumiere Cinema in Beverly Hills, California, on 4 June 2026 (Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Cast Aside The Clouds/AFP) Off Iranian-American comedian Max Amini has drawn criticism online after describing those fighting the US and Israel as a different " species " with "no sense of morals", while arguing that Washington's war is against Iran's government rather than its people. Speaking to Bill Maher on an episode of Club Random released on 17 August, Amini sought to distance ordinary Iranians from the country's leadership. "We are not our government.