Many Iranians took to the streets, shouting and playing music, to celebrate reports that the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in a U.S.-Israeli operation, according to verified videos. “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead,” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media, a claim not confirmed by authorities in Tehran.
Still, Telegram videos verified by AFP showed Iranians blasting music, cheering, applauding, and honking car horns. The celebrations began even before Trump’s post, after other reports of Khamenei’s death surfaced shortly after 11:00 p.m. local time (7:30 p.m. GMT), according to several witnesses and audio recordings.
Witnesses said cries of jubilation could be heard across many parts of Tehran, and that residents stepped onto balconies and leaned out of windows to clap and play music. In verified videos shared online, loud, sustained whistles and cheers can be heard, along with fireworks.
At that point, according to social media accounts, people had not yet poured into the streets in large numbers to celebrate. Many Iranians were fearful after a deadly crackdown on massive anti-government protests last month.
The protests began in December, driven by the country’s economic troubles under sanctions, but soon evolved into a nationwide movement that peaked on January 8 and 9, posing one of the biggest challenges to Iran’s leaders in years. The unrest triggered a violent government crackdown that left thousands dead.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has recorded more than 7,000 deaths, while cautioning that the real toll is likely far higher. Iranian authorities acknowledge more than 3,000 deaths but blame the violence on “terrorist acts” orchestrated by the United States and Israel.
