‘He was as important as Nasrallah’: Beirut mourns Khamenei’s death

BEIRUT — Thousands gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Sunday at Hezbollah’s call to mourn Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in a U.S.–Israeli strike on Iran.

Slogans exalting the leader of the Islamic Republic and former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah were chanted by Hezbollah supporters present, who also sang songs hostile to Israel and the United States.

While the Ashura esplanade at the edge of the Haret Hreik and Hadath neighborhoods was overflowing with crowds, other neighborhood residents were going about their shopping.

"At first, I didn't believe it. When my husband told me during suhour [the pre-dawn meal during Ramadan], it was a shock," Myriam Srour, a resident of the southern suburbs originally from Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon, told our reporter on site.

"I immediately thought of the Sayyed [Hassan Nasrallah, former Hezbollah secretary-general, killed in September 2024 in a similar Israeli raid]. Sayyed Hassan is like Sayyed Ali, they mean everything to us. These are the hardest trials we've experienced," she said.

"We are not afraid of the United States or Israel. We are going to continue along Sayyed Ali's path," added a little girl, holding a photo of Ali Khamenei to her chest. Behind her, her mother prompted her to say "death to Israel." The little girl didn't hear her.

"Khamenei is our spiritual father, the Wali al-Faqih, a political leader with authority over every aspect of our lives," continued another protester, Khadija Diab, 41, who came with her children. Like many, she didn't want to believe the news at first, which had started circulating Saturday night.

Although contradictory information emerged from Tehran for several hours, even announcing an upcoming speech from the Supreme Leader, the axe fell early in the morning. "I woke up to my brother's sobs while he was on social media... The news came as a brutal shock," she said. "It was as if your soul was leaving you. It was like reliving what happened with the Sayyed [Nasrallah] and it's even worse this time."

"He drew a clear line for us, a path of resistance against the United States and Israel, who have occupied our countries and Palestine. He was one of the last leaders in the world to say 'no' to them," added a man who preferred to remain anonymous. "I cried, I was deeply shaken when I heard the news on TV... We have experienced intense emotion twice: with Hassan, then with Sayyed Ali."

It remains to be seen how Hezbollah will respond after such a blow to its Iranian patron, as it had called any attempt by Israel and the United States to overthrow the Islamic Republic a "red line." The Shiite party's secretary-general, Naim Kassem, limited himself to a statement during the day in which he promised that his group "would confront" what he called "the height of crime" committed in Tehran. "We will do our duty to confront the aggression, confident in God's help and support ... and whatever the sacrifices may be, we will not leave the field of honor, resistance, and confrontation with American tyranny and Zionist crime to defend our land, our dignity, and our independent choices," he said.

"We want Lebanon to be safe. But we are facing aggression, Israel is attacking us, and we have the right to defend our land, our families, our South, where our men die every day," Srour added. "We want a response. We want to stand behind our guide. It's our duty to fight this enemy that attacks us. If the order is given, we will follow the command," added another protester.

Hezbollah holds rallies across Nabatieh region

Hezbollah organized a series of gatherings in the Nabatieh region, bringing together local figures, religious scholars, families of “martyrs,” and large crowds in several towns and villages, including Nabatieh, Arab Salim, Ghaziye, and Adloun.

The party’s regional branch said additional rallies are planned on Monday in the Bekaa Valley, between 2 and 3 p.m., in Baalbeck, Hermel, Qasr, Nabi Osman, Nabi Sheet, Brital, and Shmestar.

Reporting by on site by our journalist Lyana Alameddine.