In the wake of the US-Israel war with Iran and the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, videos spread on social media showing Iranians celebrating a YMCA-style group dance while waving Iranian, American and Israeli flags dating back to the Shah.
These scenes, largely emerging from diaspora communities, reflect jubilation among Iranians who opposed the Islamic Republic and viewed Khamenei’s death as the symbolic collapse of an authoritarian regime that had ruled for decades. While the reaction inside Iran was tightly controlled, abroad the moment sparked open celebration and renewed debate about regime change.
Iranian celebrations extend to the streets after Khamenei’s death
Videos circulating online show Iranians celebrating the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with a YMCA-style group dance, performed indoors and at organized rallies with participants waving the Shah-era Iranian, American and Israeli flags.
The simple, synchronized arm movements, familiar around the world, have taken on political meaning in this context, symbolizing freedom, defiance of the theocratic system, and solidarity with countries that participants see as having helped end Khamenei’s rule.
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Celebrations were not limited to indoor gatherings. One of the most widely shared clips shows Iranians and Israelis celebrating together in the streets of Golders Green in London.
Hundreds of people gathered on a residential street late at night, waving Israeli flags alongside the Iranian flag bearing the lion and sun, the emblem used before the 1979 revolution. The roughly one-minute video was filmed under street lights and posted with the caption “Persian and Jew celebrating together,” and quickly garnered millions of views.Throughout the footage, revelers repeatedly chant “Am Yisrael Chai,” meaning “The people of Israel live,” while flags flutter above the crowd.
Some participants appear to be wearing kippot, and at one point a woman is lifted onto someone’s shoulders as cheers ring out around her. Many pre-revolution Iranian flags appear alongside blue and white Israeli flags, underscoring the political message of the rally.
The crowd is largely made up of Iranian immigrants and refugees celebrating alongside London Jews.
Operation Epic Rage And the trigger for celebrations
The celebrations appeared to be a direct response to Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli campaign that killed Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials. According to reports, Khamenei had been tracked for several months before the strikes. News of his death spread quickly, leading to spontaneous gatherings among segments of the Iranian diaspora within hours of the announcement.
