Celebration or grief? Khamenei’s death brings contrasting emotions in Iran | US-Israel war on Iran

C.In response to the death of religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, celebrations and mourning erupted across Iran in an extraordinary public response to the end of the top cleric’s nearly four decades in power.

Crowds gathered in Tehran squares to mourn the leader, shouting slogans and carrying banners with his picture. However, videos shared widely on social media also showed people celebrating, dancing, honking car horns and setting off fireworks as news of the leader’s death came.

Some families joined the celebrations by going out on their balconies. Among them was 24-year-old Nazanin, a media professional living in Tehran. “The street was full! Tears were flowing from my eyes. No one from the outside can understand what the Iranians who are the victims of this murderer feel right now,” he said.

“I was hoping for the sake of Nika, Sarina and Mahsa that the news was true,” he said, referring to Nika Shakarami, Sarina Esmailzadeh and Mahsa Amini, three women who were killed in 2022 and became icons of the Women, Life, Freedom protests. “But I couldn’t believe it. I barely slept.”

The contrasting reactions reflect the deep fault lines in a country stunned by the sudden death of the man who led the country for 36 years. This news was good news for those who experienced the severity of the regime’s recent crackdown on protests across the country. The US-based human rights group announced that more than 7,000 people were confirmed to have been killed in the demonstrations and that a further 11,000 deaths were under investigation. HRANA found. Tens of thousands more were arrested or injured.

Mina, 20, a university student in Tehran, was among a group of protesters shot when state forces opened fire in January. “I saw people fall before us. I will never forget the scene of beautiful young boys and girls whose whole lives lay in front of us in a pool of blood. The only thing in my mind at that moment was hoping that those responsible for the murder would face a worse fate. And today, the desire for revenge I felt when I saw the news of Khamenei’s death came true,” he said.

A doctor in Rasht said he was still traumatized by having spent January treating hundreds of protesters with gunshot wounds to the head, chest and genitals, but was quietly celebrating the news. “I smoked for the first time last night. It was the best Saturday night of my life,” he said.

Although he was worried about what would happen next in Iran, he said the religious leader’s death brought relief to many.

“As a nation, we have been waiting for this news for decades. I feel like I’m dreaming, but we are celebrating cautiously. For now, we are celebrating – despite the security forces with AK47s.”

Citizens in Arak said that after the news was published on the internet, people gathered in the squares and offered tea to each other. An eyewitness who spoke to the Guardian said that in Khamenei’s hometown of Mashhad, groups of students were joyfully riding around the city on motorcycles.

But many Iranians remain fearful after a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests in January.

Thousands of people gathered in the center of Iran’s capital to mourn Khamenei’s death. Images from Tehran show mourners gathered in a square, wearing black and many crying.

Some chanted “Death to America” ​​and “Death to Israel” in Enghelab Square, while many were waving Iranian flags and carrying photos of Khamenei.

Hossein Dadbakhsh, a 21-year-old university student in Mashhad, said he would avenge Iran’s leader.

With his voice shaking with emotion, he said, “I am ready to sacrifice my life for Islam and Imam Khamenei. The Zionist regime and Trump will pay a heavy price for my leader’s martyrdom.”

Atousa Mirzade, a teacher in the central city of Shiraz, told Reuters he could not be happy that the country’s leader was killed by a foreign power.

“I can’t be happy either because I don’t know what will happen to our country. We saw what happened in Iraq, chaos and bloodshed. I prefer the Islamic Republic to this situation.”

For others, hope was the dominant emotion, even though it was unclear what would come after Khamenei. The death of the cleric marked the beginning of a new era for Mahsa Piraei, who lived outside Iran but whose mother, Minoo Majidi, was killed by regime forces during the Women, Life, Freedom protests.

“Today is a beautiful day,” he said. “Of course, we all know that there is a long way to go… [but] “My family, I and all the families whose relatives were killed by this bloody regime have been waiting for this moment for a long time.”