(The Center Square)–Iranian nationals celebrating the death of Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday clashed with protestors criticizing the Trump administration’s military actions in Iran.
As many as 50 Iranian nationals chanted, cheered, played music and danced outside the White House on Saturday, according to organizers. The Center Square spoke with several Iranian nationals who expressed joy about Khamenei’s death.
One Iranian national, Niki, who asked to be referred to by her first name only, moved to the United States three months ago after persecutions of Iranian regime protestors became more deadly. She described the community in Iran as one big family.
“All of the people in Iran are like our family, there’s no difference,” Niki said. “When we see that people are murdered, people are suffering in our country, there’s no doubt that we will suffer here too.”
The Iranian regime has been responding violently to protesters within its own country, killing and jailing an unknown number.
Niki said she hopes a democratic process will prevail in Iran after the military actions. She called on the Iranian people to hold elections and install a leader who represents the people.
“We have very good politicians, very good people, very intelligent and smart people that are in prison in Iran,” she said. “If they are freed, I’m sure that they will find a good leader between the people who are now in Iran.”
Several Iranian nationals brought homemade signs that denounced calling the military actions a war with Iran. Others banged on drums and declared messages of hope. Many had signs thanking President Trump for the United States’ military action.
“We don’t see it as a war with the Iranian people,” Mo, an Iranian national who has lived in the United States for 10 years, said. “We see it as a humanitarian intervention.”
He also called on the Iranian people to take power of the government and hold democratic elections.. He said he would visit the country again if it was opened up and it became safer to do so.
Mo pointed to Reza Pahlavi, an activist and Iranian dissent leader in exile in the United States, to lead the country after the Ayatollah’s death.
“We trust him and his teams after these things calm down,” he said. “The solution will be a referendum; people can freely vote for what type of government they choose.”
Alongside the Iranian people’s celebrations, several protestors gathered to criticize the Trump administration’s actions in Iran. Robert Chase, a progressive activist, questioned whether Khamenei’s death would lead to lasting change in Iran.
“There will eventually be another Ayatollah, presumably, because that is the structure of their government,” Chase said. “None of our goals have really been realized, just the decapitation of some of the more visible and vocal people opposing the United States, but there’s plenty more of them.”
Lawmakers have vowed to hold a vote on a War Powers Resolution to halt further military action in the country. Chase said he was skeptical that such a resolution would pass in Congress without a Democratic majority in either chamber.
“He campaigned as an isolationist, he’s governed as a would-be imperialist,” Chase said.
Overall, Chase cast doubt on a shift to democratic government in Iran and a major change in the country’s political outlook.
“There’s certainly not any hope of political changes in Iran, as a result of these attacks short of picking a new supreme leader,” Chase said. “I don’t know what there is to celebrate.”
