Iranians Erupt in Joy: Crowds Cheer Khamenei’s Reported Death Amid Deadly Crackdown Backlash

Iranians in North America and parts of Iran celebrated wildly after unconfirmed reports of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death surfaced.

AFP-verified UEFA Champions League footage captured crowds abroad cheering, clapping, blasting music, and honking horns.

Witnesses described cheers, whistles, and fireworks lighting up neighborhoods after 11 p.m. local time. Residents rushed to balconies and windows, pumping fists and playing songs, predating U.S. President Donald Trump’s Truth Social post calling Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history.”

No official Iranian confirmation emerged, and large street rallies stayed cautious inside the country.

Joy contrasted a brutal regime crackdown on protests that exploded in December over sanctions-ravaged economics, peaking in January as the biggest leadership threat in years.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency tallied over 7,000 deaths (likely undercounted); Iranian officials admitted 3,000+, blaming U.S.-Israel-backed “terrorists.”

These divided reactions highlight Iran’s fractured views on its leadership amid swirling uncertainty.