Iranians confront a post-Khamenei reality with relief, disbelief and anxiety

(CNN) — Iranians awoke Sunday for the first time in decades without Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as their supreme leader after he was killed in US-Israeli strikes, a profound shift in the nation’s history.

As Israel continues its attacks on Iran amid Tehran’s vow to avenge Khamenei’s death, people across the capital and beyond are grappling with conflicting feelings.

While the killing of Khamenei — a symbol, for many, of decades of brutal repression and economic mismanagement — prompted pockets of celebration Saturday night, other Iranians are voicing unease about what comes next, the implications of US intervention and anxiety about a widening regional war.

“We’re safe for now. There haven’t been many strong explosions in the west of the city, so we are going to try and stay in Tehran for now,” one Tehran resident told CNN on Sunday, adding: “People are happy that Khamenei was killed.”

But that joy is tempered.

“I’m happy he is gone, but I almost don’t believe that it has happened. So many of us are in disbelief, I don’t even think I can celebrate yet,” another person told CNN, underscoring fears that a conflict barely a day old could rapidly further spiral.

Israeli strikes have hit targets across Iran, with one killing over 150 girls at an elementary school near a military base in the southern city of Minab, according to Iranian state media.

In response to the US and Israeli assault, Iran has launched retaliatory attacks against Israeli and US military bases in several countries. Blasts have been reported across the region, from Doha to the beaches of Dubai, with three US soldiers killed, at least nine people dead in Israel and dozens of other casualities.

In northern Tehran’s Tajrish district, one local said streets were “pretty empty” on Sunday.

“Some people are milling about, but no one is out celebrating or protesting really where I am,” they told CNN.

“Last night, people were celebrating near Tajrish. You could hear them, but also you could hear some gunshots. I’m apprehensive about what Khamenei’s death means. I don’t think it’s going to lead to change anytime soon. But I take heart in knowing he is gone,” the person said.

Videos shared by anti-regime activist accounts and geolocated by CNN show multiple cars honking their horns surrounded by people out in the streets of the central Iranian city of Isfahan, waving clothes in celebration.

In another video from the city of Abdanan, in western Iran, people cheered from inside their cars on a congested roundabout. Another video showed people in the Iranian town of Galleh Dar toppling a monument dedicated to Khamenei’s predecessor and founder of the Islamic Republic, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, as flames rose from the roundabout and onlookers cheered.

That celebratory mood, however, is far from universal.

On Sunday morning, large crowds of pro-government Iranians gathered in public squares and mosques across the country in a display of support for the regime that Israel and US President Donald Trump have vowed to topple.

“Some might be happy with Khamenei’s death, but the majority are worried about the consequences and the future developments in the country, particularly in relation to the conflict and likely instability,” one resident told CNN.

“I personally expect escalation vis-a-vis US-Israel,” the resident said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that strikes against Iran will increase in the coming days.

The death of a figure who dominated Iranian politics, religion and foreign policy for more than three decades (and who never formally named a successor) has created profound uncertainty about succession and stability at the apex of the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard and other state organs are expected to play central roles in managing any transition. And on Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in his first televised appearance since the attacks, said that an interim council has begun its work. Later in the day, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a new supreme leader could be chosen within days.

At stake is not simply who replaces Khamenei, but whether the powers that have long held the regime together can continue to do so. Israel has claimed that a “majority” of Iran’s senior military leaders were killed in the opening wave of strikes. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it killed 40 senior commanders.

As one resident told CNN: “(I’m) happy about the death of a dictator and worried about chaos or the coming of another dictatorship.”

For some Iranians, the fact that Khamenei’s death came through Israeli-US military action leaves a bitter aftertaste, serving as a reminder that even moments of change, wanted by many, have been forced by external actors.

Iran analyst Arash Azizi told CNN that Iranians did not want a shift inside the regime, “but the whole regime gone.”

“They want democracy and fundamental transformation. But these goals remain very hard to reach, given the lack of proper organization amongst the opposition,” Azizi said.

Outside of Iran, in cities from Los Angeles to London, segments of the Iranian diaspora gathered in spontaneous celebrations, with Khamenei’s death marking a happy end to an era they had long opposed from afar.

Meanwhile, as the country enters an unpredictable new chapter, Iranians in the country are still looking for a path toward freedom.

Editor’s note: The Iranians quoted in this article spoke to CNN under the condition of anonymity, citing security concerns.

CNN’s Tim Lister contributed to this report.

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