The global community received differing reactions to the recent news of the death of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the US-Israeli airstrikes on the country. Iranians reacted with a mix of emotions, as some celebrated in the streets with fireworks and music while others mourned the loss, expressing their grief in Enghelab (Revolution) Square in Tehran.
Protests erupted worldwide, with demonstrators in Istanbul displaying portraits of Khamenei and denouncing the war, while in Seoul, South Korea, activists called for non-intervention in Iran outside the US embassy. Similar rallies occurred in Hyderabad, India, and Athens, Greece.
Conversely, the Iranian diaspora in Europe and the United States welcomed the news of Khamenei’s death. China condemned the killing as a breach of Iran’s sovereignty and international norms, while Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized it as a violation of human morality and international law.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Iranians to revolt against the regime following Khamenei’s demise. Pope Leo XIV emphasized the need to halt the escalating violence, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the event as a pivotal moment offering the potential for a more liberated Iran.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed little lament for Khamenei’s passing. Similarly, French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon labeled him a “bloodthirsty dictator” and stated that France could only view his death with satisfaction.