Iran has begun 40 days of mourning after state media said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes blamed on the United States and Israel.
Officials said senior security figures and several of Khamenei’s relatives also died in Saturday’s attacks. The reported deaths mark one of the most serious blows to Iran’s leadership since the 1979 revolution.
President Masoud Pezeshkian called the killing “a great crime” in a statement from his office. He announced seven public holidays alongside the national mourning period.
Crowds gathered in Tehran soon after the announcement. Witnesses said people poured into streets and public squares as mourning ceremonies began despite ongoing military tension.
State television aired images of mourners at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, where several people were seen weeping and collapsing in grief.
Protests also broke out in cities including Shiraz and Yasuj, while demonstrations spread abroad. In Baghdad, crowds gathered near the fortified district that houses government buildings and foreign embassies. Iraq declared three days of mourning in response to the reported killing.
In Karachi, protesters attacked the US consulate, smashing windows and setting fires, according to verified footage. Security forces later dispersed the crowd.
There were also scattered reports of celebrations in some Iranian cities, including Karaj and Isfahan, witnesses said.
There has been no independent confirmation of the circumstances surrounding Khamenei’s reported death. Analysts warn that uncertainty and anger over the claims could fuel further unrest across the region.
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