Iranians navigate hope and fear after Khamenei’s killing

08:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Iranians navigate hope and fear after Khamenei’s killing

Iranians are adjusting to a starkly different political landscape after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint United States and Israeli strikes, with reactions inside the country split between cautious celebration, enforced mourning, and deep uncertainty about what comes next. While some residents quietly welcomed the end of Khamenei’s rule, many said they were torn between relief at the removal of a long-time oppressor and anxiety about foreign military intervention and the risk of wider war. One university student in the northern city of Babol described a dilemma over whether to express joy at the death of leaders seen as responsible for years of repression or to remain silent as Iran comes under attack from foreign forces. A shopkeeper in Tehran spoke of a tense atmosphere in the capital, calling it a mix of fear, hidden satisfaction, and official mourning as security units watched the streets.

President Donald Trump, who confirmed Khamenei’s death in a message on Truth Social, used a subsequent video address to urge Iranians to seize the moment once bombing subsides and “take over” their government, framing the aftermath of the air campaign as a rare chance to end clerical rule. Yet analysts and Iranian residents questioned whether such an uprising is realistic while Iran’s security forces remain intact. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij paramilitary still control the streets and have signaled they intend to preserve the system, even as a temporary leadership council steps in under the constitution. U.S. intelligence assessments before the strikes concluded that, in a destabilizing crisis, a direct takeover by the Revolutionary Guard was more likely than a democratic transition, reinforcing doubts that outside calls for regime change can translate into organized action on the ground. With air raids continuing and tens of thousands of security personnel deployed around major cities, many Iranians have stayed indoors, leaving little visible sign of the mass revolt invoked by Trump.

For now, Iran’s streets mirror this tension between hope and fear. State media has announced forty days of mourning and public holidays, showcasing funeral gatherings and loyalty marches, while reports and videos from cities such as Tehran, Karaj, and Isfahan point to quieter displays of relief among those who opposed Khamenei’s rule. Some Iranians told foreign media they were glad the supreme leader was gone but struggled to believe the news or to imagine how the political system might change under bombardment and with the Revolutionary Guard still in charge. Many said they were waiting to see whether the power struggle in Tehran, the scale of foreign military pressure, and the response of Iran’s security establishment would open a path to change or simply usher in a new phase of authoritarian rule.