Mixed Reactions in Iran as Supreme Leader Dies in U.S.-Israeli Strikes

The death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in ongoing U.S.-Israeli airstrikes has sparked both celebrations and fear among Iranians. While some residents celebrated in the streets, many remain concerned about the country's future direction amid continued bombardment and government crackdowns.

CAIRO — Mixed reactions have emerged across Iran following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with some citizens celebrating openly while others express deep concerns about their nation’s uncertain future amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli military strikes.

Khamenei, who ruled Iran’s Islamic Republic for almost forty years, was killed along with several high-ranking military officials during the first day of coordinated attacks. His death has shocked the Iranian population and triggered complicated feelings throughout the politically divided country.

A resident from northern Tehran shared his conflicted emotions about the leader’s death through encrypted messaging. “Inside, we are in party mode,” he said. “But unless we are safe from them, people are not celebrating publicly because they are ruthless and even more vengeful.”

Government officials quickly organized large memorial gatherings in multiple cities to demonstrate public mourning for the leader, whom state broadcasters called a martyr. Verified footage from state television revealed massive crowds filling central plazas in Isfahan and Yazd, displaying Iranian flags while shouting anti-American slogans.

Despite calls from President Donald Trump urging Iranians to “seize their government,” former protest participants told reporters that security forces maintain too strong a grip for new large-scale demonstrations. The Associated Press spoke with eight Iranian citizens on Sunday, with several requesting anonymity due to safety concerns amid unstable communications.

Tehran resident Golshan Fathi reported heavy Basij paramilitary presence throughout the capital’s streets. These forces previously participated in violently suppressing recent mass protests. A physician from Rasht described witnessing Basij members forcibly removing a driver from his vehicle after he honked his horn in celebration.

Fathi characterized Iranian society as currently existing “between hope and fear.”

The country remains sharply split politically. Last month witnessed hundreds of thousands marching nationwide, chanting anti-Khamenei slogans in what may have been the largest protests against clerical rule since 1979. Although authorities brutally suppressed these demonstrations, public resentment toward the government persists. However, significant numbers of supporters continue backing the system for various religious, social, and economic reasons.

Iranian leadership moved swiftly to demonstrate continued control following the deaths of Khamenei and other top officials including the defense minister, army chief, and senior security advisor. President Masoud Pezeshkian announced that a new leadership council had begun operations, while the foreign minister indicated a replacement supreme leader would be selected within days.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf addressed the nation on state television Sunday, emphasizing that government and military operations don’t rely on specific individuals. “We prepared ourselves for these moments and set plans for all scenarios,” he stated, “even for after the martyrdom of our dear Imam Khamenei.”

Official media confirmed Khamenei’s death early Sunday morning, prompting immediate celebrations in certain areas. Verified online videos showed crowds cheering and dancing while vehicles honked horns in Karaj, near Tehran. Both Fathi and the Rasht doctor reported hearing celebratory sounds from nearby buildings.

The physician described the experience in a voice message: “It was one of the best nights, if not the best night, of our lives. It was actually my first time ever smoking a cigarette. We didn’t sleep at all. And we don’t even feel tired.”

Throughout Sunday, Iranians confronted the harsh reality of living under bombardment with no clear end in sight. Explosions in Tehran created massive smoke plumes over government building areas. Iranian officials report over 200 casualties from the strikes, including at least 165 deaths from an attack on a girls’ school in the country’s southern region.

Tehran residents rushed to grocery stores Sunday, clearing shelves of bottled water, bread, eggs, and milk. Extended lines at gas stations throughout the capital suggested either fuel shortage fears or evacuation plans. State television showed heavy highway traffic with bumper-to-bumper vehicles as families attempted to reach northern provinces, while others chose to remain home for safety.

Iran launched retaliatory missiles at expanding targets across Israel and Gulf Arab nations, while Israel promised continuous strikes against Iranian leadership and military installations.

Fathi expressed concern that the Islamic Republic might maintain power, “leading to chaos or even causing the splitting of the nation. But maybe, maybe from this morning, that new page for Iran where everything changes has begun. People are hopeful,” she said. During the conversation, explosion sounds echoed through the capital. “Right now, you see, Israel is hitting us. Fighters have violated our country’s airspace and are freely bombing us and we are just sitting here.”

Many Iranians remain traumatized by last month’s violent crackdown that killed thousands. This brutality and subsequent mass arrests have deterred many from returning to the streets. Others question U.S. and Israeli motives or worry about potential national chaos and fragmentation.

The Rasht doctor reflected on the situation: “I don’t think that the people have their determination in their own hands yet. This is a foreign war at the end of the day. But if the regime is so weakened and then another call for protests is made, this is another story.”

Reza Mehrabi, 67, cautioned against premature celebrations over Iranian leadership deaths. He recalled similar jubilation following the 1979 revolution that removed the Shah and established Islamic Republic rule. “I saw some people were happy about the losses, but when I remember 1979 revolution and its aftermath, I need more consideration to understand if the nation and the country is on the right path.”

A 27-year-old Tehran woman described a strike landing just hundreds of yards from her home, terrifying her with the blast. “I have no idea which direction we are heading,” she said. “I wish all these things were just a bad dream that vanishes when I wake up.”

Academic experts suggest that launching new mass demonstrations may prove challenging despite Trump’s encouragement for Iranian uprising.

“The reality is, the Iranian people don’t have the means to displace the Islamic Republic on their own,” explained Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies-Europe.

He predicted the strikes might embolden some citizens, but many will hesitate to protest again “because the regime retains its repressive capacity and there should be no doubts it would be willing to use violence again against protesters.”

“Even within families and within neighborhoods there may be very disparate views” regarding Khamenei’s killing, particularly because foreign powers carried it out, he noted.

Arang Keshavarzian, a Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies professor at New York University, observed that both during last summer’s conflict with Israel and current bombardment, “the political and military apparatus has been hit hard, but they have replaced people and maintained their cohesion.”

During the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranians across society sustained massive protests for months, ultimately forcing the shah to flee. “But we are far from the 1979 model in which Iranians organized strikes and nationwide organizations of merchants, students, and clerics,” Keshavarzian said.

“Just because Iranians have many grievances and make claims on the state on a daily basis, it does not necessarily mean that this will scale up to a social revolution,” he concluded. “And bombing Iran does not change this.”