Fact Check: Is video showing Iranian mourners calling for revenge over Khamenei's death real?
TEHRAN, IRAN: In early March, shortly after the US and Israel struck Iran, killing the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a video went viral purportedly showing people in Iran calling for revenge for their leader's death.
The claim circulated across different social media platforms, such as Reddit, Threads, and X. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.
Claim: Video shows Iranian mourners calling for revenge over Khamenei's killing
A Reddit user posted the viral clip and wrote, "They say Iranians are 'celebrating' the death of Ayatollah Khamenei and are happy about Americans bombing their country. So why are Iranians flooding the streets demanding revenge?"
Similarly, a Threads user also shared the same clip and wrote, "Streets of Tehran are being flooded, calling for revenge."
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a precision strike on his fortified compound in central Tehran, where he maintained his official residence and office. Satellite imagery from sources showed heavy damage, black smoke plumes, destroyed buildings, and newly constructed structures that were targeted.
The attack occurred in the morning, as reports described it as a daylight operation involving Israeli fighter jets dropping multiple bombs on the site and nearby leadership locations.
Interestingly, the strike was part of a broader 'decapitation' campaign that targeted high-ranking Iranian officials.
President Donald Trump announced Khamenei's death on Truth Social shortly after, calling Khamenei 'one of the most evil people in history' and mentioning he 'was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems.'
Fact Check: Unverified, no clear evidence
The viral social media posts could not be verified, which contained the video, carried the watermark of Student News Network, an Iranian news media outlet that, as per its website, is mostly run by university students and graduates.
However, Snopes did verify that it shows Enqelab Square in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and was recorded after January 2026.
According to the SNN website, it is licensed by the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, overseeing press freedom in the country. The network mentions on its website that it adheres to the 'ideals of the Islamic Revolution'.
As per several news reports, people in Iran gathered to mourn Khamenei's death in Enqelab Square on Sunday, March 1, the same day SNN published its version of the video.
Interestingly, Iranian state media and pro-Iran accounts have pushed similar videos as propaganda. Verified real footage exists, but social media versions are often manipulated, misattributed, or AI-generated.
