How Iran erupted with screams and cheers as news of Khamenei’s killing hit the streets
As news of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death broke on Saturday night, the streets of Tehran and cities across Iran rang with both screams and cheers.
Some Iranians celebrated their long-time ruler’s demise at the hands of US and Israeli bombing.
Others were overcome with sorrow at the loss of a spiritual leader and national figurehead who had been omnipresent in Iranian lives for 37 years.
There were plenty of people, too, who fear for whatever comes next.
Maryam, 52, lives in Ekbatan in western Tehran. She said that moments after Reuters broke the news, her neighbours came to their windows.
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“Suddenly people leaned out of their windows, and you could hear shouting and cheering,” she said.
She describes it as a spontaneous reaction: “It was as if people were celebrating the death of their dictator.”
Ekbatan was one of the neighbourhoods that saw large anti-government protests during the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.
In recent years, security forces have repeatedly entered the district and arrested many protesters. On Saturday night, the news of Khamenei’s death turned years of anger against the authorities into celebrations.
Elsewhere in the capital, Khamenei’s killing was being lamented.
Ali, 36, said he is deeply saddened and angered by the supreme leader’s death.
“Those who are happy about the killing of our leader do not understand the dark future that awaits us,” he tells Middle East Eye.
“Khamenei was someone who managed to keep this nation united. He has many supporters in Iran. The future will show what a great loss his absence will be for the country.”
On Sunday morning, the atmosphere in Tehran was largely controlled by supporters of the ruling establishment.
Backers of Khamenei and the Islamic Republic appeared in the streets in an organised manner.
In central neighbourhoods of the capital, groups of men on motorcycles could be seen carrying flags and identical posters that appeared to have been distributed in a coordinated manner.
They called for “severe revenge” and chanted slogans against the US and Israel.
Huge pro-government rallies were held in Tehran, Isfahan, Qom and other major cities.
The crowds seemed both angry over the loss of their political and religious leader and ready, at least in their words, for war and even sacrifice.
Dancing in Mashhad
Hours before the pro-government rallies, Iranians across the country were using the cover of darkness to celebrate Khamenei’s death.
Behnam, 24, who lives in Saadat Abad, northwest of Tehran, said he was overjoyed when he heard the reports.
“We were driving in the streets,” he said. “We were honking our horns and celebrating. The music in our cars was loud, and we were smiling at other drivers.”
“People were congratulating each other,” he adds. “The end of this nightmare feels unbelievable.”
Similar scenes were reported in Mashhad, a deeply religious city in northeastern Iran.
Mashhad, home to the shrine of the eighth Shia imam, is often seen as a stronghold of conservative and hard-line religious forces.
Rules related to Islamic dress are usually enforced more strictly there than in other parts of the country.
Fereshteh, 47, describes what she saw in the Ahmadabad neighbourhood of Mashhad: “On Saturday night, people were handing out sweets in the streets. Some got out of their cars in heavy traffic and were dancing to music from their vehicles. Young men and women were celebrating together, without observing the mandatory hijab.”
She adds that Ahmad Alamolhoda, the city’s principal Friday prayer leader, would be furious if he saw these scenes.
Alamolhoda is known as a strong conservative cleric and is the father-in-law of the late President Ebrahim Raisi.
Over the years, he has supported strict religious rules and greater restrictions, especially on young people and women.
The celebrations in Mashhad are also significant because the city is Khamenei’s birthplace. He travelled there every year to deliver a speech on the first day of the Persian New Year.
Fears of a new Libya
However, not everyone shares this optimism.
Mohammad, 31, from the city of Arak, said he is deeply worried about what comes next.
An industrial food engineer who works in a factory, he said: “Khamenei’s crimes over the years are clear to everyone. But I am almost certain that after him, nothing of Iran will remain.”
Referring to recent strikes by the US and Israel, he adds: “In just one day, they flattened a girls’ primary school and killed so many children. Do you really expect countries that turned Gaza into ruins to bring you democracy?”
Mohammad says he cannot be as hopeful as others. “We have entered a dark period,” he said. “A period like what we saw in Syria, Libya and even Iraq after Saddam Hussein - a time of instability, civil war, and more bloodshed.”
In recent months, many in Iran have warned about the risk of repeating the experiences of Syria or Libya. Supporters of regime change have accused them of spreading fear or repeating the government’s narrative.
Some hold a more cautious view.
Bahareh, 40, who studied political science and is now a homemaker, said she wishes she could feel as hopeful as others.
“I would love to celebrate and speak about a bright future,” she said. “But what I see makes it hard to be that optimistic.”
She points to the strong influence of the military inside the country.
“Do you really think Khamenei’s death will end the Islamic Republic?” she asks. “When in history has a regime collapsed only because of foreign air strikes, without ground forces?”
Bahareh believes it is possible that the system could even become more authoritarian.
“In my view, someone from inside the system, loyal to the same ideology and anti-western stance, will take power. At the same time, protests will grow,” she said.
“The government may not have the same strength as before, but like Bashar al-Assad’s government, it could survive through large-scale violence, at least in parts of the country.”
Bahareh fears a future of continued conflict between society and the state, growing instability, and ongoing foreign strikes.
“In the end”, she said, “Israel and the United States may continue their attacks, and what will be left for Iran could be a failed state”.
Killed protesters
For 36 years, Khamenei held power in Iran, gradually becoming an increasingly authoritarian and absolute leader.
Over the decades, he resisted all pressure for reform from within the system and responded to internal dissent with force.
Each wave of protests grew larger than the one before, and each crackdown became more violent.
Videos shared on social media show groups of Iranians gathering outside the homes of those who were killed by security forces during last month’s protests.
Mina, 22, who lives in eastern Tehran, said those homes became epicentres for critics of Khamenei to gather.
“People brought flowers and sweets to the families,” she said.
“They stood outside the homes of those who were killed, dancing and celebrating, and offering congratulations to their relatives.”
Mina said the mother of one 19-year-old victim spoke to them with a bitter smile.
“She told us, ‘I’m glad my son’s blood was not in vain'.”
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