In early March 2026, shortly after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran killed the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a video (archived) circulated online purportedly showing people in the Islamic republic calling for revenge for their leader's death.
For example, one Reddit user who posted the footage wrote (archived), "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?"
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?
by u/No-Attorney-1874 in LetsDiscussThis
The clip and similar iterations of the claim also circulated on X (archived) and Threads (archived).
It was not possible to independently verify who recorded the video (archived), which carries the watermark of
Because Snopes could not obtain the original video, it was not possible to determine whether someone had edited the footage or the chanting heard in the clip.
According to its website, SNN is licensed by the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance that oversees press freedom in the country. The network says on its website that it adheres to the "ideals of the Islamic Revolution."
The 1979 revolution toppled the country's monarchy and resulted in a Shiite Muslim clerical rule led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Khamenei succeeded Khomeini in 1989.
Inspecting 'revenge' video
According to reporting by NBC News (archived) and the reputable picture agency Getty Images, people in Iran gathered to mourn Khamenei's death in Enqelab Square on March 1, 2026. This was also the date SNN published its version of the video. In separate footage Getty shared (time code 0:05), which seems to depict the same event, protesters appear to chant "entegam," the romanization of the
The caption for SNN's video reads, "Slogan of the mourning people in Tehran: Armed forces, revenge, revenge," according to Google Translate. The Farsi translation for the "Armed forces, revenge, revenge" chant matches the audio in SNN's clip using the romanization, "Nirveyaye mosleh, entegam, entegam." It was not possible to independently verify whether this audio was authentic.
SNN's footage does show Enqelab Square, as evidenced by the blue fencing and building with a blue "H" that also appears in a geotagged photo from Google Maps.
(SNN/Google Maps)
The video also shows an anti-U.S. mural in the square that Iran unveiled in January 2026, according to The Associated Press. The mural warned the U.S., "If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind."
The clip purportedly showing Khamenei supporters rallying in Tehran circulated as U.S. President Trump called his administration's strikes "the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country."
It is unclear whether Iranian opposition powers are moving to seize control of the Islamic republic after the killing of Khamenei. The AP conducted interviews with people in Iran, during which they indicated uncertainty over the direction the country's people would take.
According to U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for military operations in the Middle East, four U.S. service members were killed in action (archived) in the Middle East by the morning of March 2.
Al Jazeera reported, citing the Iranian Red Crescent, that various US-Israeli strikes had killed at least 555 people in Iran. Israeli officials reported (archived) that Iranian missile strikes had killed at least nine people in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh by March 2. It was not possible to independently verify either of these figures.