'Waiting for this moment for a long time,' Iranians in Seoul celebrate after Khamenei's death

Record ID: 2360423

  • Title: 'Waiting for this moment for a long time,' Iranians in Seoul celebrate after Khamenei's death
  • Date: 2nd March 2026
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (MARCH 1, 2026) (REUTERS)  PROTESTERS HOLDING PICTURES OF REZA PAHLAVI, SON OF THE SHAH OUSTED IN IRAN'S 1979 ISLAMIC REVOLUTION, AND CHANTING (Korean): "Down with the dictator, reclaim the freedom of Iran"  PROTESTERS CHANTING  DJ CONSOLE  IRANIAN, ARMAN ZANGENEH, SMILING AND MOVING TO MUSIC  (SOUNDBNITE) (Korean) IRANIAN, ARMAN ZANGENEH, SAYING: "I was
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran Iranians Netanyahu South Korea Trump celebration crisis death strikes
  • Location: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA 
  • City: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA 
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
  • Reuters ID: LVA001974101032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A small Iranian community in South Korea gathered in Seoul on Sunday (March 1) to celebrate after U.S. and Israeli strikes reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
    Dozens of people assembled in Seongsu-dong for a party, waving Iranian national flags, chanting and dancing in celebration. Some participants held up photos of exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, voicing support for him and calling for political change in Iran.
    "I was with my kids in my car (when I heard the news). One of my friends called me from Iran by WhatsApp and told me, 'Oh, you know, the USA attacked Iran.' Suddenly my kids wowed, and they were so surprised and happy. Actually, it wasn't happiness exactly, but we had been waiting for this moment for a long time," said 47-year-old Arman Zangeneh. 
    Another attendee, 28-year-old Kiana Miri, said the development had given her renewed optimism about the future. 
    "We were fighting anyway, even if the USA and Israel didn’t help us. But now we fight with hope, and that’s something really big,” she said. “I want to thank Mr President Trump and Bibi Netanyahu.”
    South Korean authorities maintained a low-profile presence as the peaceful rally unfolded in the popular downtown neighbourhood of Seoul. Organisers said the event was intended to send a message of unity among overseas Iranians and to mark what they view as a historic shift in Iran’s political trajectory.
    (Production: Hwawon Lee, Sebin Choi, Heejung Jung) 
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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