Iranians in New Zealand who fled the Islamic Republic say the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes have left them torn between fear for loved ones and hope that a turning point has arrived.
State media announced the death of the 86-year-old todayafter 40 years of authoritarian rule.
In central Auckland today, dozens of Iranian New Zealanders gathered in a park to celebrate — some dancing, others waving or wearing the lion‑and‑sun flag once used before the 1979 revolution.
Merhdad Soltanifar said he felt like he was "coming out of his skin".
"This is the first step of getting to the victory. You know, that was the elimination of supreme leader, and the elimination of whole system is going to be our goal and achievement."
Samira Taghavi told 1News she felt "absolute joy" but also "quite sad" because she would have loved to be in Iran to witness the strikes.
"I lived in Iran for 24 years, most of my adult life, and I have been through so much under the Islamic Republic regime, and I would have loved to be there to watch them going down the way they have gone down in the past 24 hours."
But they say the possible end to the regime is a reason to celebrate. (Source: 1News)
Many Iranians, within and outside the country, saw the late Shah's son, Reza Pahlavi, as a figure to guide Iran through the uncertainty, Taghavi said.
She added that while not everyone was backing Pahlavi, the majority were "and that's the main thing".
"We have no other alternative."
Others at the gathering were focused on family members in Iran, where internet outages have made communication difficult.
Ardi Alemi said he managed to speak with his mother before the blackout.
"She said, 'even if it's the last time that we speak together, you should know that I'm happy for what is happening'."
Iran's embassy in Wellington has condemned the US-Israeli strikes, describing them as "unlawful aggression".
"We are awaiting the condemnation by the Government of New Zealand of the unlawful aggression carried out by the United States and Israel, as it occurred on the eve of a potential agreement."
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