Tehran, March 1: Massive groups of Iranians flooded the streets of Tehran and various other cities throughout Iran overnight, celebrating the announcement of the death of the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a coordinated attack by the US and Israel.
Khamenei was killed in a major attack by the US and Israel, marking a turning point in the 46-year Shia-theocratic rule, as Tehran's retaliation triggered widespread unrest in the Middle East.
Numerous Iranians, both within the country and abroad, celebrated, although the looming possibility of further attacks by American and Israeli forces dampened some of the festivities.
Sources in Tehran, who were able to maintain communication with the outside world via Starlink satellite internet, informed Iran International that residents were emerging from windows or gathering on rooftops shortly after the news broke, shouting in joy.
Despite significant disruptions to internet access, videos that seemed to depict people dancing and celebrating circulated online from cities such as Karaj, Qazvin, Shiraz, Kermanshah, Isfahan, and Sanandaj.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed to punish the "murderers" of Khamenei and promised that the response will be the "most ferocious offensive operation in history" against the US and Israel.
In a statement posted on its official Telegram page, the IRGC said, "The Iranian nation's desire for revenge for the severe, decisive, and regrettable punishment of the murderers of the Imam of the Ummah will not let them go."
It further said that the IRGC, the Armed Forces, and the Basij forces will "continue to defend his legacy, standing firm against internal and external plots, and delivering what it described as a lesson-giving punishment to aggressors against the Islamic homeland."
The Iranian Cabinet has also warned that "this great crime will never go unanswered."
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday the killing of the 86-year-old cleric, ending his 36-year iron-fisted rule over Iran.
Trump said on Truth Social, "He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems, and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do."
As soon as the US-Israel attack began, Tehran retaliated with a barrage of drones and missiles against Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, and Kuwait.
Trump launched the attack shortly after midnight in Washington -- and daytime in Iran -- two days after inconclusive negotiations in Geneva facilitated by Oman.
Iran was convulsed last month by public protests sparked by inflation that defied the regime but was brutally put down by the government, reportedly killing thousands.