Iranian activists report celebrations in country after US claims death of Ayatollah Khamenei

TEHRAN: With the United States claiming that the Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei had been killed in the strikes, reports coming in from Iran suggest that celebrations have broken out in various parts of the country.

Iranian activist and journalist, Masih Alinejad posted one such 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,”

La libertà costa, ma non ha prezzo. #Khamenei #Iran pic.twitter.com/zZ5BAc733D

— Batman (@Batman91307601) March 1, 2026

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.

Hundreds Iranians gather in Tehran spontaneous mourning for Khamenei

As the first light breaks, crowds fill the streets of the capital.#Iran #WorldWar3 pic.twitter.com/VxR2ftEC4E

— shaik abdul rahman (@rahmanzaishan12) March 1, 2026

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. He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us.”

“As I said last night, “Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!” Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves. That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated. 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,” he posted.

Khamnei’s death has not been confirmed or denied by any authority in Iran and the question remains if the regime will appoint a successor and if the reported death will bring closure to the conflict in West Asia. (ANI)