Tehran [Iran], March 1 (ANI): Thousands in Tehran, Isfahan, and Mashhad gathered to mourn Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Saturday, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reported.

Marking 40 days of public mourning, citizens chanted 'God is great,' paid tribute at holy sites, and protested the attacks, as Iran braces for a leadership transition and heightened national security.

In the central Iranian city of Isfahan, residents gathered at Imam Square to protest the strikes and to mourn what state media termed the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei. Demonstrators raised slogans including 'God is great' as the airstrikes continued.

Meanwhile, in the northeastern city of Mashhad, mourners gathered at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH) to pay tribute to the late leader.

This comes amid heightened tensions in West Asia following joint missile strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran. Explosions were reported in Tehran and other major cities, with Iranian state media claiming that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes. Reuters cited Iranian state media reporting that 40 days of public mourning was announced in Iran after Khamenei's death.

The country's Supreme Leader's office has declared a period of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast and public gatherings planned to pay respects, marking the closing of a 37-year chapter in the Islamic Republic's history.

Ayatollah Khamenei was the successor to the Revolution's founder, Ruhollah Khomeini. Since 1989, his 'story' was one of unwavering defiance against Western influence.

Authorities have heightened security across the country, particularly in major cities like Tehran, to prevent unrest and ensure public safety.

Attention is focused on the process of selecting Khamenei's successor, with speculation about potential candidates and the impact on Iran's future leadership. However, meeting under wartime conditions is difficult, and the question remains, who 'owns' the future of the Republic--the clerics or the Revolutionary Guard-- the most urgent cliffhanger.

His death is being portrayed by state media as the Martyrdom of the Guardian, framing his end not as a defeat, but as a final sacrifice for the sovereignty of the nation.

The official Farsi account of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged his death and posted a verse from the Quran on X in the early hours of Sunday. As per Tasnim News, Khamenei was killed while at the workplace in the early hours of Sunday.

The official Farsi page posted on X a verse from Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:23, which translates to 'Among the believers are men who have been true to the covenant they made with Allah. Some of them have fulfilled their vow [by death], and some are still waiting, and they have not changed [their commitment] in the least.'

According to Tasnim News, Khamenei was killed in the early hours of Sunday while in office. It said on X, 'The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution was martyred at their workplace in the Leader's Residence. They were engaged in performing their assigned duties and present at their workplace (their office) at the moment of martyrdom, and this cowardly attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning.' (ANI)