Iranians Abroad Celebrate Khamenei’s Death

By Benjamin Abioye

Groups of Iranians living in parts of North America were seen celebrating in the streets following circulating reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had died. Videos verified by AFP showed people cheering, playing music and expressing excitement after hearing the news.

Despite the celebrations, there was no official confirmation from the Iranian government regarding Khamenei’s reported death. However, the claim gained wider attention after United States President Donald Trump made a post on his Truth Social platform.

Despite the celebrations, there was no official confirmation from the Iranian government regarding Khamenei’s reported death. However, the claim gained wider attention after United States President Donald Trump made a post on his Truth Social platform.

In the post, Trump wrote that “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in history, is dead”.

Videos shared on Telegram and verified by AFP showed scenes of celebration, with people clapping, cheering and sounding their car horns. Loud music was also heard in several of the recordings.

Witnesses said the celebrations had already begun shortly after 11 pm (1930 GMT), even before Trump made his social media post. The reactions were triggered by earlier reports suggesting that the Iranian leader had died.

According to some witnesses and audio recordings, loud cheers could be heard across parts of Tehran around the same time. Some residents reportedly opened their windows to clap and play music.

Videos circulating online also showed people whistling loudly, cheering continuously and setting off fireworks. At that stage, however, large crowds had not yet fully gathered on the streets, according to information shared on social media.

The situation unfolded in a tense atmosphere in Iran following a recent wave of anti-government protests. Many citizens had remained cautious after a violent crackdown by authorities during the demonstrations.

The protests first started in December after public frustration grew over worsening economic conditions in the heavily sanctioned country. The demonstrations quickly spread across different cities and reached a peak on January 8 and 9, becoming one of the biggest challenges faced by Iran’s leadership in recent years.

The unrest led to a strong response from security forces. Thousands of people were reported killed during the crackdown.

A United States-based monitoring group, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, said it had documented more than 7,000 deaths and warned that the real number could be much higher.

Iranian authorities, however, say that more than 3,000 people died during the unrest. Officials also insisted that the violence was linked to what they described as “terrorist acts” supported by the United States and Israel.

During the protests, government officials tried to balance their response by admitting that some protesters had genuine economic concerns, while also condemning what they described as violent “rioters.”