Iranians woke up Sunday for the first time in decades without Ayatollah Khamenei as supreme leader after he was killed in a U.S. and Israeli attack, a significant change in the country’s history.
People across the capital and beyond are grappling with conflicting emotions as the Iranian government vows revenge for Khamenei’s death and Israel continues its attacks on Iran.
While Khamenei’s killing – for many a symbol of brutal repression and economic mismanagement – sparked celebrations everywhere Saturday night, other Iranians expressed anxiety about what happens next, the impact of US intervention and escalating regional wars.
“For now we are safe. There are not many big explosions in the west of the city, so for now we will stay in Tehran,” one Tehran resident told CNN on Sunday. “People are happy that Khamenei was killed,” he added.
But the joy is muted.
“We’re glad he’s gone, but we hardly believe it actually happened. Many of us are in disbelief and can’t even celebrate yet,” another official told CNN, underscoring concerns that the conflict, which is only a day old, could quickly deteriorate.
Israeli airstrikes hit targets across Iran, killing more than 150 schoolgirls at an elementary school near a military base in the southern city of Minab, Iranian state media said.
In response to the US and Israeli attacks, Iran launched retaliatory attacks against Israeli and US military bases in several countries. Explosions were reported across the region, from Doha to the coast of Dubai, killing three American soldiers, at least nine Israelis and dozens of others.
In Tajrish district, north of Tehran, the streets were “quite empty” on Sunday, one local resident said.
“There are some people milling around, but no one is celebrating or protesting where I am,” they told CNN.
“People were celebrating near Tajrish last night. I heard voices, but I also heard gunshots. I’m worried about what Khamenei’s death means. I don’t think it will lead to change anytime soon. But I’m relieved to know he’s gone,” the official said.
A video shared by an opposition activist’s account and geolocated by CNN shows cars surrounded by people honking their horns and waving their clothes in celebration on a street in the central Iranian city of Isfahan.
Another video from the western Iranian city of Abdanan shows people cheering from inside their cars at a crowded roundabout. Another video shows people tearing down a monument dedicated to the late Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei’s predecessor and founder of the Islamic Republic, in the Iranian town of Ghale Dar, as flames erupt from a roundabout and onlookers cheer.
But the celebratory mood is by no means universal.
On Sunday morning, large crowds of pro-government Iranians gathered in public squares and mosques across the country to express support for Israel and the Iranian regime that US President Donald Trump has vowed to overthrow.
“While some may be happy about Khamenei’s death, the majority are concerned about the domestic impact and future developments, especially in relation to conflict and possible instability in the future,” one resident told CNN.
“Personally, I expect relations between the United States and Israel to escalate,” the resident said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that attacks against Iran will escalate in the coming days.
The death of the man who had dominated Iran’s politics, religion, and foreign policy for more than three decades (and who had never formally named a successor) created great uncertainty for succession and stability at the top of the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards and other state institutions are expected to play a central role in managing any transition. And on Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in his first television appearance since the attack that work on a transitional council had begun. Later in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a new supreme leader could be chosen within days.
The issue is not simply who will replace Khamenei, but whether the forces that have been in power for many years can continue to do so. Israel claimed that the “vast majority” of Iranian military leaders were killed in the first wave of attacks. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had killed 40 senior commanders.
One resident told CNN: “I’m happy about the dictator’s death, but I’m worried about chaos and the birth of a new dictatorship.”
For some Iranians, the fact that Khamenei’s death was brought about by Israeli and U.S. military action leaves a bitter aftertaste, serving as a reminder that even moments of change that many had hoped for have been forced by outside actors.
Iranian analyst Arash Azizi told CNN that while Iranians do not want change within the regime, “the entire regime has disappeared.”
“They want democracy and fundamental change. However, it is still very difficult to achieve these goals given the lack of proper organization among the opposition parties,” Azizi said.
Outside Iran, in cities from Los Angeles to London, sections of the Iranian diaspora gathered in spontaneous celebrations, marking Khamenei’s death as a happy end to an era they had long opposed from afar.
Meanwhile, Iranians inside the country are still searching for a path to freedom as the country enters an unpredictable new chapter.
Editor’s note: Iranians quoted in this article spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity citing security concerns.
CNN’s Tim Lister contributed to this report.
