Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s killing plays into Shiite Islam’s reverence for martyrs, but not for all Iranians

Photo: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Great Conference of Basij members at Azadi stadium October 4, 2018. Photo credit: © Khamenei.ir via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 4.0 (photo resized to fit website). Article by Eric Lob. The Conversation – March 2, 2026.

The day Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, the Iranian government called for 40 days of public mourning in line with Shiite tradition. It also praised the supreme leader for his martyrdom – a concept considered sacred and significant in the Islamic Republic and Shiite Islam. While some Iranians came out to commemorate Khamenei, others celebrated his demise. The scenes reflected the contradictions in how Khamenei was perceived: by some as a martyr, and by others as an oppressor. […]

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