Photos: Thousands of Iranians turn out to mourn Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran

Max ButterworthSun, March 1, 2026 at 10:42 AM UTC

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A mourner cries at Enghelab Square in Tehran on Sunday. (Majid Saeedi / Getty Images) (Majid Saeedi)

For many Iranians, the day began with the news they had feared.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed dead by Iranian state media on Sunday following a deadly wave of strikes launched by the United States and Israel.

Thousands gathered to pay their respects in Enghelab Square as the warm glow of the Sunday morning sun shone across the Iranian capital. Men were seen hugging and crying, resting against shuttered storefronts, unable to contain their grief.

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Civilians marched towards the square as veiled women raised images of the Supreme Leader aloft and chanting in groups, while others simply sat by the roadside, paying their respects from a distance. Opponents of the regime, who turned out in their thousands for protests that faced a brutal crackdown in January, largely stayed off the streets on Sunday.

Iranians line the streets in central Tehran Sunday morning to pay tribute to their fallen leader. (Atta Kenare / AFP - Getty Images) (Atta Kenare)

Men embrace as thousands gathered in Enghelab Square for tributes at a pro-government demonstration. (Majid Saeedi / Getty Images) (Majid Saeedi)

Many were visibly emotional and unable to contain their sadness. (Majid Saeedi / Getty Images) (Majid Saeedi)

Thousands fill Enghelab Square after Iranian state media confirmed the death of the Ayatollah. (Majid Saeedi / Getty Images) (Majid Saeedi)

Iranian state media confirmed what President Trump had announced to the world the previous day. (Majid Saeedi / Getty Images) (Majid Saeedi)

On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched a joint military attack on Iran dubbed "Operation Epic Fury", striking many targets, including the Supreme Leader's compound in Tehran.

President Donald Trump called the killing of Khamenei "justice for the people of Iran" in a post on Truth Social, telling NBC News in an earlier interview that "most" of Iran's senior leadership is "gone".

A woman mourns the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Sunday. (Atta Kenare / AFP - Getty Images) (Atta Kenare)

Crowds of men and women chant during a pro-government demonstration. (Majid Saeedi / Getty Images) (Majid Saeedi)

A veiled Iranian woman raises an image of Khamenei in central Tehran on Sunday. (Fatemeh Bahrami / Anadolu via Getty Images) (Fatemeh Bahrami)

Iranian state media confirmed the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday. (Majid Saeedi / Getty Images) (Majid Saeedi)

People holding posters of Khamenei and national flags march near Enghelab Square. (Majid Saeedi / Getty Images) (Majid Saeedi)

Thousands chant and raise their fists in Enghelab Square. (Majid Saeedi / Getty Images) (Majid Saeedi)

A person holds a picture of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. (Atta Kenare / AFP - Getty Images) (Atta Kenare)

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Source: “AOL Breaking”