Thousands of Iranians gathered for the first Friday prayers since the United States–Israeli campaign began seven days earlier, many carrying portraits of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom Iranian sources report was killed. Worshippers chanted anti‑US and anti‑Israeli slogans and waved Iranian flags despite heavy bombardment in Tehran. Strikes reportedly hit a military academy, areas near key political offices and civilian infrastructure, while regional retaliatory strikes and Israeli operations in Lebanon have deepened tensions. Israeli authorities also cancelled Friday prayers at Al‑Aqsa, drawing criticism from local religious leaders.
Thousands Attend First Friday Prayers After Khamenei's Reported Death as War With US and Israel Escalates
A woman holds a picture of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as government supporters march against the US-Israeli war after Friday prayers at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque [Vahid Salemi/AP]
Thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran and other cities for the first Friday prayers since the United States–Israeli campaign against Iran began seven days earlier, many carrying portraits of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whom Iranian sources say was killed in an early strike.
Despite heavy bombardment in the capital, worshippers chanted anti‑US and anti‑Israeli slogans and waved Iranian flags as they took part in midday prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, an Al Jazeera team on the ground reported. Footage circulated by Iranian media showed men and women dressed in black streaming into an open area outside the Grand Mosque of Imam Khomeini in Tehran.
In one video, a man using a loudspeaker mourned Khamenei, calling him “the embodiment of piety and guardianship in our time,” while others sat on prayer rugs and wept openly. Photographs taken after prayers showed worshippers marching in a demonstration against the US‑Israeli assault.
Nationwide Observances and Local Reports
Similar gatherings were reported from other Iranian cities, including Ilam and Borujerd in the west and Zahedan in the southeast, the AFP news agency said. Organizers and attendees described the assemblies as both religious observance and a show of support for the government amid ongoing strikes.
Strikes and Regional Spillover
Local reports say recent strikes on Tehran hit a military academy and sites near a street that houses key political offices — the area where Iranian sources report Khamenei was killed — as well as damaging residential buildings, car parks and petrol stations. The strikes came after United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that bombardment was "about to surge dramatically." These events have contributed to unprecedented regional tensions and security disruptions.
Across the region, the Israeli military continued operations in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, displacing large numbers of residents. Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have also reported being targeted by Iranian drones or missiles in retaliatory strikes, often in areas with a US or Israeli presence, officials say.
Al‑Aqsa Prayer Cancelled
In occupied East Jerusalem, Israel's Civil Administration announced it had cancelled Friday prayers at the Al‑Aqsa Mosque — Islam's third‑holiest site — citing security concerns following what it described as Iranian retaliatory strikes. Civil Administration Chief Brigadier General Hisham Ibrahim said the decision was made via the Israeli army's Al Munasiq platform.
Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, a senior imam at Al‑Aqsa, told Al Jazeera: "The occupation authorities are exploiting any occasion to close Al‑Aqsa, and this is completely unjustified."
Reports remain fluid and claims about specific incidents, including the death of the Supreme Leader, come from state or local sources and have not been independently verified in every case. Journalists and agencies on the ground continue to monitor developments as the situation evolves.
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