Chants were heard in Iran after Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed Iran's supreme leader. In a 17-second video clip circulated on social media, women were heard shouting, "Death to Mojtaba," in Persian. The video was filmed from a building window. Religious chants were also heard from a distance. The slogans reflected a brewing public anger amid the transfer of dynastic power.
The new leader was appointed following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28. Not more than a week after the death, the Assembly of Experts chose Mojtaba as their supreme leader.
The video clip featuring chants was heard across Tehran. The chants reflected the dissatisfaction of Iranians who oppose hereditary-style leadership in a system founded after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that rejected monarchy after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
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The protests also signified frustrations fueled by years of economic hardship, political repression, and ongoing conflict in the Islamic country. Critics say Mojtaba’s emergence, backed by conservative power centers and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, could lead to a tougher domestic crackdown and a more confrontational foreign policy.
US-Iran-Israel War
As the Middle East brews with tensions, more than 1,300 people have so far been killed in Iran and over a dozen in Israel. At least six US troops have been killed in the war, following the death of Ayatollah Khamenei.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that they launched strikes on Iranian soil, signifying it as a potential threat. The ongoing war also took a toll on the flight operations across the Middle East. The conflict led to the closure of major airports; airlines cancelled and rescheduled tickets at a fast pace. Several passengers from around the world struggle to repatriate amid the rising tensions across West Asia.