PARIS, France: Cheers in Tehran. Retaliation and mourning announced by Iran. Protests erupting in some parts of the Muslim world, celebrations in others.
The world greeted with trepidation the news on Sunday that Iran´s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been martyred in the US-Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic one day earlier.
Iranians took to the streets cheering with joy, setting off fireworks and playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei´s death, according to witnesses and video footage verified by AFP.
The celebrations in Tehran began shortly after 11:00 pm (1930 GMT), even before Iranian state television had confirmed US President Donald Trump´s statement that Khamenei was dead, according to multiple witnesses and audio recordings.People were not, however, coming out en masse to celebrate, according to social media.
Many Iranians were fearful after the deadly crackdown on mass anti-government protests in January.
The thousands who did gather in the centre of Iran´s capital were instead mourning Khamenei´s death, according to AFP journalists.
The mourners, dressed mostly in black and some crying, chanted “death to America” and “death to Israel” in Enghelab (Revolution) Square, with many waving Iran´s flags and holding photos of Khamenei.
The son of Iran´s late shah on Saturday hailed the killing, saying the Islamic republic that replaced his pro-Western father was finished.
