Tehran, Iran. Some Iranians mourned while others celebrated after Iranian state TV announced the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, highlighting divisions in the country. State TV said Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli attack on Saturday.
State TV announcement and mourning in Tehran
Iranian state TV announced Khamenei’s death in the early hours of Sunday, with the broadcaster’s voice breaking with emotion as he delivered the news. Footage from Tehran showed mourners packed into a square, dressed in black, with many of them weeping.
Celebrations and defiance reported in other cities
Videos posted on social media showed celebrations elsewhere, including people cheering as a statue was toppled in Dehloran in Ilam province, dancing in the streets of Karaj near Tehran in Alborz province, and celebrating in Izeh in Khuzestan province.
In Galleh Dar in southern Iran, a video on social media showed people knocking down a monument commemorating Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic Republic in 1979. A man could be heard shouting, “Am I dreaming? Hello to the new world!” as fires burned on a traffic circle where the monument was toppled, drawing cheers and applause.
Reuters said it verified the locations of these videos.
Protest-related reference in Lapuee
Another video showed people celebrating in Lapuee in southern Iran outside the house of Pooya Jafari, a 15-year-old teenager who was shot dead during anti-government protests in January.
The article said thousands of Iranians were killed during a crackdown on anti-government protests in January, described as the deadliest wave of unrest since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
US statement and call for vengeance
Announcing the attack on Iran on Saturday, US President Donald Trump urged Iranians to seize the moment to topple the government.
At a rally mourning Khamenei’s death in Tehran, one man said the news had filled him with hatred “towards Israel and America. We must avenge the blood of the leader.”
How do you think Khamenei’s death will affect Iran’s internal divisions?