Thousands of Iran citizens have gathered in Tehran’s Enghelab Square on Sunday to mourn the death of the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli missile strikes on Saturday, 28th February, 2026.
Dressed in black, clutched with photos of the 86-year-old cleric, while waving Iran’s national flag, the mourners display a deep state of grief.
The strikes followed an escalating conflict in the Middle East where Donald Trump of the United States of America and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed their strong disagreement with Iran’s nuclear power.
The airstrikes which targeted Khamenei’s office and residence in Tehran, also claimed the lives of his daughter, son-in-law, grandson, and several senior officials including IRGC commander Mohammad Pakpour.
US President Trump earlier announced the killing on Truth Social, framing Khamenei as one of the most evil people in history. He also praised the decision as justice for victims of Iranian actions worldwide.
Iranian authorities and the IRGC swiftly vowed revenge, launching multiple waves of missile and drone attacks on Israeli military sites and 27 US bases across the Middle East.
Also, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran condemned the assassination as an open war against Muslims, with the IRGC initiating its sixth round of retaliatory strikes.
So far, over 200 people have died in Iran since the war broke out yesterday, with attacks spanning 24 provinces and reports of civilian casualties drawing UN criticism.
Meanwhile, the recent development has driven massive anti-war protests across the US, from Washington D.C. to New York and Los Angeles, showing a deep dissatisfaction in the president’s campaign.
Protesters outside the White House and other locations slammed Trump’s actions as unauthorized, chanting “Hands Off Iran.”
The Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani led crowds in Manhattan, condemning Trump’s actions. He said the conflict is a disastrous escalation that disregards American opposition to regime-change wars.
Demonstrators further accused Trump of acting like a fascist, bypassing legislative approval despite campaigning against foreign.
Following the 86-year-old Khamenei’s death, a three-member council, comprising President Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and a Guardian Council member, will oversee the affairs of Iran until the consensus of specialized individuals selects a successor.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have claimed to have launched multiple missiles against US and Israeli targets in retaliation to the death of their leaders. The group also vowed to avenge “The killers of the Imam of the nation will not escape severe, decisive, and deterrent punishment.”
However, Trump has warned, “Iran just stated that they are going to hit very hard today, harder than they have ever hit before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Khamenei’s death has fueled demonstrations outside Iran, as protesters reportedly stormed the US consulate in Pakistan, while burning a building belonging to the United Nations. At least nine people were killed as a result of the crisis.