Iran announces 40 days of public mourning on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death

TEHRAN: Iran is observing 40 days of public mourning following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Reuters reported, citing Iranian state media. In Shia Islam, the 40th day after death (Arba’een) holds immense spiritual weight.

The death occurred following strikes by the US and Israel (Operation Epic Fury/Lion’s Roar) on Saturday. By announcing exactly 40 days of mourning, the government is leaning into a powerful cultural script, providing the clerical establishment time to manage the transition behind closed doors.

The country’s Supreme Leader’s office has declared a period of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast and public gatherings planned to pay respects, marking the closing of a 37-year chapter in the Islamic Republic’s history.

Ayatollah Khamenei was the successor to the Revolution’s founder, Ruhollah Khomeini. Since 1989, his “story” was one of unwavering defiance against Western influence. Authorities have heightened security across the country, particularly in major cities like Tehran, to prevent unrest and ensure public safety.

Attention is focused on the process of selecting Khamenei’s successor, with speculation about potential candidates and the impact on Iran’s future leadership. However, meeting under wartime conditions is difficult, and the question remains, who “owns” the future of the Republic–the clerics or the Revolutionary Guard– the most urgent cliffhanger.

His death is being portrayed by state media as the Martyrdom of the Guardian, framing his end not as a defeat, but as a final sacrifice for the sovereignty of the nation.

The official Farsi account of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged his death and posted a verse from the Quran on X in the early hours of Sunday. As per Tasnim News, Khamenei was killed while at the workplace in the early hours of Sunday.

The official Farsi page posted on X a verse from Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:23, which translates to “Among the believers are men who have been true to the covenant they made with Allah. Some of them have fulfilled their vow [by death], and some are still waiting, and they have not changed [their commitment] in the least.”

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ رِجالٌ صَدَقُوا ما عاهَدُوا اللّهَ عَلَیْهِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضى نَحْبَهُ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ یَنْتَظِرُ وَ ما بَدَّلُوا تَبْدِیلاًhttps://t.co/vVE1NYLvr3 pic.twitter.com/H3xLBUullf

— KHAMENEI.IR | فارسی (@Khamenei_fa) March 1, 2026

According to Tasnim News, Khamenei was killed in the early hours of Sunday while in office. It said on X, “The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution was martyred at their workplace in the Leader’s Residence. They were engaged in performing their assigned duties and present at their workplace (their office) at the moment of martyrdom, and this cowardly attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.”

رهبر معظم انقلاب اسلامی در محل کارشان در بیت رهبری به شهادت رسیدند

ایشان در لحظۀ شهادت در حال انجام وظایف محوله و حضور در محل کار خود (دفتر کارشان) بودند و این حملۀ ناجوانمردانه در ساعات اولیه صبح شنبه رخ داده است

— خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) March 1, 2026

Earlier, the Times of Israel cited Iran’s state media reporting that Ali Khamenei’s daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law, and son-in-law were killed in Israeli-US strikes. The Israeli newspaper said that there is no official word on the fate of Khamenei himself.

The front page of the Jerusalem Post also carried the news of the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. Meanwhile, various reports emanating from Iran suggest that crowds have come out on the streets to celebrate. CNN reported news of celebrations in several cities in Iran. According to the news report, whistling and cheering and slogans of ‘Death to the Islamic Republic’ and ‘Long live the Shah’ were heard on the streets of the cities.

Fox News posted a video and reported that Iranians were celebrating the death of Khamenei on the streets of Besat Town, a suburb of Karaj, Iran.

Former Spokesperson for the state of Israel Eylon A Levy posted another celebration video on X, saying, “Iranian women are dancing in the streets–without hair coverings–after hearing that Israel killed the tyrant Khamenei. So many Western leaders should feel ashamed at their cowardly response this morning. We will all remember.”

Iranian activist and Journalist, Masih Alinejad, posted another video with the message, “A video of Iranian people celebrating inside Iran, Am I dreaming? Hello, new world.”

In another self-made video, Alinejad further 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.”

Reports coming out of London also showed videos of expatriate Iranians and Israelis dancing and celebrating side by side on the streets of London.

Earlier, exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi urged Iranians to unite and support a “stable transition to a free and prosperous future” after the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, calling any attempt by the regime to appoint a successor “doomed to fail”. He also warned that efforts to preserve the collapsing regime would not succeed.

In a post on X, 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. Any attempt by the remnants of the regime to appoint a successor to Khamenei is doomed to fail from the outset. Whoever they place in his stead will have neither legitimacy nor longevity, and will undoubtedly be complicit in the crimes of this regime as well. To the military, law enforcement, and security forces: any effort to preserve a collapsing regime will fail. 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.”

Pahlavi said the death of Khamenei could bring comfort to the families of those who lost their lives in Iran’s Lion and Sun National Revolution, urging the people to remain vigilant and united. Earlier, the death of the Ayatollah was claimed by US President Donald Trump, calling it justice for the people of Iran.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS…The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD.” (ANI)