The Middle East has entered a new and uncertain phase after the confirmed death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. After ruling the country with a strong grip for decades, Khamenei was killed in a coordinated air operation carried out by US and Israeli forces. Iranian state media confirmed Khamenei’s death on Sunday morning, after earlier denying reports that he had died. 

While the Iranian government has announced 40 days of official mourning, the situation on the ground appears very different. In cities like Tehran, as well as in diaspora communities in Los Angeles and London, thousands of people have taken to the streets in celebration. Large numbers of Iranians came out onto the streets in Tehran and other cities across the country overnight after reports emerged that Khamenei had died, according to a report by The New York Times.

Protests broke out in Jammu and Kashmir

Protests broke out in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir after Iranian state media confirmed that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been killed in joint US-Israeli strikes.

Demonstrations were reported from Srinagar, Sonawari, and Bandipora, where members of the Shia community – including both men and women – marched through the streets carrying photographs of the Iranian leader.

The Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association also released a statement expressing grief over Khamenei’s death. “We mourn the martyrdom of the family members of Imam Khamenei. Our prayers are with the Leader and the people of Iran,” the outfit said in a statement.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also shared a post on X saying, “I’m deeply concerned about the unfolding developments in Iran, including the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. I appeal to all communities to remain calm, uphold peace, and avoid any actions that could lead to tension or unrest”.

Adding to it he mentioned that, “The Government of Jammu & Kashmir is in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, to ensure the safety and well-being of J&K residents, including students, currently in Iran”.

Scenes of celebrations across Iran; global Iranian diaspora reacts

Videos shared by anti-regime activists and verified by CNN showed busy streets in Tehran and other cities, with cars honking, fireworks lighting up the sky, and crowds cheering as people gathered outside.

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Celebrations were also reported among Iranians living abroad, including in Madrid, London, Berlin, Armenia and the United States. In Los Angeles, which has the largest Iranian community in the US, hundreds of people gathered on Saturday, waving Iranian and American flags, according to Fox News.

“Iranian people all over the world, from Los Angeles to Tehran, are on the streets celebrating [in] sheer jubilation over the dawn of a new and free Iran,” Lisa Daftari, editor at The Foreign Desk, told Fox News Digital.

Some people held signs with messages such as, “Make Iran Great Again.”

Iranian activist and journalist Masih Alinejad shared one such video, writing, “A video of Iranian people celebrating inside Iran, Am I dreaming? Hello, new world.”

In another self made video, Alinejad said, “Every morning I wake up reading that my people are being killed by Ali Khamenei. But this is the first morning in my life that I get the good news and I want to run. I want to just run and shout, and shout out of joy,”

Protests erupt in Tehran

Additionally, hundreds of Iranians poured into the streets to mourn the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed in US-Israeli strikes early Saturday morning.

Visuals showed large crowds gathering across Tehran, chanting slogans against the United States and Israel.

The video accompanying the scenes was captioned: “Hundreds of Iranians gather in Tehran in spontaneous mourning for Khamenei. As the first light breaks, crowds fill the streets of the capital.”

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A video circulating online shows chaotic scenes in Baghdad today as demonstrators gathered near the fortified Green Zone – where the US embassy is located – with some pushing against security barriers in an attempt to enter the area amid protests over regional tensions, though they were blocked by Iraqi forces.

Reza Pahlavi calls for a ‘new and free Iran’

Earlier, exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi called on Iranians to come together and support a “stable transition to a free and prosperous future” after the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He said any move by the regime to appoint a successor was “doomed to fail.”

He also warned that attempts to save what he described as a collapsing regime would not succeed.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pahlavi wrote, “My fellow compatriots, Ali Khamenei, the bloodthirsty despot of our time, the murderer of tens of thousands of Iran’s bravest sons and daughters, has been erased from the face of history. With his death, the Islamic Republic has in effect reached its end and will very soon be consigned to the dustbin of history”. 

“This is your final opportunity to join the nation, to help ensure Iran’s stable transition to a free and prosperous future, and to take part in building that future,” he added.