Following the initial reports of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister's helicopter crash and up until the official declaration of their death, despite the supreme leader Ali Khamenei's call for prayer and mourning – Iranians are celebrating worldwide.
Civilians are seen firing celebratory fireworks in Tehran in a recent footage, with one of them saying "Let's celebrate the good news of Ebrahim Raisi's chopper crash," according to Iran International. Many more videos show Iranians cheering in response to the latest news, as well as many social media posts from across the world, celebrating using the hashtag #IranIsHappy.
Video: Celebrations in Tehran, Iran
In response, there are reports of the increasing presence of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to prevent a potential uprising, followed by a statement issued by Iran's Cyber Police threatening social media users posting content that contrasts "public emotions," as posted by Iran international on X.
Iranian-American journalist, author and women's rights activist Masih Alinejad has also expressed her glee, declaring today as "World Helicopter Day." She added this is "the only crash in history where everyone is worried if someone survived," alluding to the Iranian regime's brutal suppression of dissent and extreme violence towards women.
Back in 2021, Alinejad spoke with Israel Hayom and stated that even then the Iranian society realized their joined enemy is the Regime, saying "I was taught to shout 'Death to Israel, death to America' and today, people are shouting 'Death to the regime.' Now the Iranian people are refusing to trample Israeli and American flags. The citizens of Iran are so brave. Our enemies aren't America and Israel, but the regime."
Videos sent to @IranIntl show a group of Iranians celebrating and dancing in front of the Iranian embassy in London after news broke on Sunday of Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crash. pic.twitter.com/CqwYCABB1m
— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) May 20, 2024
Jonathan Harounoff, an Israel and Iran journalist and analyst, explained the people's joyous response to Raisi's death: "Aside from being one of the most conservative presidents Iran has ever seen, Raisi rose to prominence in the Islamic Republic through the brutal judicial system where he was a member of the notorious 'Panel of Death,' sending thousands of political prisoners to the gallows. There's a reason why he earned the moniker 'Butcher of Tehran," he said to Iran International. "Widespread bureaucratic corruption, woeful economic mismanagement, sky-high inflation, high unemployment. Not to mention tight censorship and severe punishment or death for political dissent," he added.
Wounded women dance with the news of Islamic Republic president's helicopter crash.
Sima and Mercedeh, were blinded and lost an arm during the "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising, are now celebrating the possible death of Raisi, the Butcher of Iran.pic.twitter.com/SZp5VIqEPI— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) May 19, 2024
Expressing their immense joy, a group of Iranians was seen dancing and waving the Iranian and Israeli flags in front of the Iranian Embassy in London on Sunday, as news first emerged about the crash. Videos of victims of the Regim's brutality dancing and cheering appear all over social media, one of them by Mersedeh Shahinkar, who was shot by a security agent while protesting against the death of Mahsa Jina Amini – an Iranian woman who refused to wear a mandatory hijab – causing her to lose one of her eyes, and Sima Moradbeigi, a young mother who was shot by an IRGC guard during a protest, causing her to lost mobility in her right arm.
