Video: Iranians gather in Tehran for spontaneous mourning after Khamenei’s assassination
Abdullateef Fowewe
Hundreds of Iranians have flooded the streets in a spontaneous display of grief for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose death was confirmed early in the morning at age 86.
Videos circulating captured flag-waving crowds chanting and weeping in central Tehran, with Iranian state media verifying the gatherings as the start of a 40-day national mourning period.
The mourning follows U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Saturday that state outlets say assassinated Khamenei, ending his 36-year rule since succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.
Khamenei’s sudden passing has plunged Iran’s leadership into uncertainty, with no clear successor named.
Under the constitution, an emergency succession process begins immediately, led by the Assembly of Experts.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed retaliation, raising fears of escalated regional tensions amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli operations against Iranian targets.
State media reported Khamenei’s death officially at 5:00 AM local time, prompting calls for nationwide unity.
