Loud cheers reportedly echoed across parts of Tehran late Saturday night following unconfirmed reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, had died in a recent Israeli strike.
Witnesses said residents leaned out of their windows to applaud and play celebratory music shortly after 11 p.m. local time, as speculation over Khamenei’s fate spread rapidly.
Videos circulating on social media – verified by international news agency AFP – showed fireworks lighting up the night sky, accompanied by sustained whistles and cheers.
However, there was no official confirmation from Iranian authorities at the time of filing this report.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier claimed there were “many signs” suggesting that Khamenei had been killed.
Across the Atlantic, U.S. President Donald Trump, responding to a question from NBC News, said: “We feel that that is a correct story.”
Two Israeli television networks further reported that a photograph purportedly showing Khamenei’s body had been presented to both Netanyahu and Trump. The claims remain unverified.
Israel’s Channel 12 network also reported that “30 bombs were dropped on” the compound of the Iranian Supreme Leader during the joint operation.
Despite the audible celebrations in parts of Tehran, social media accounts indicated that residents were not flooding the streets en masse.
Many Iranians remain fearful following a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests last month.
The unrest, which began in December over economic hardship in the sanctions-hit country, escalated into nationwide demonstrations by early January. The protests posed one of the most significant challenges to Iran’s leadership in recent years.
Human rights organisations have given sharply differing casualty figures. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported more than 7,000 deaths, warning that the actual toll could be higher. Iranian officials, however, acknowledge over 3,000 deaths but attribute the violence to what they describe as “terrorist acts” fuelled by the United States and Israel.
