Video: Iranian TV reporter breaks down while announcing Khamenei's death

A presenter on Iran's state-affiliated broadcaster Press TV was visibly seen to be emotional, as he announced the "martyrdom" of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to footage aired by the broadcast channel.

They reported that Khamenei was killed in an assassination, in line with what the Iranian authorities declared to be the cause of death, while the distressed reporter struggled to maintain composure. He referred to Khamenei as "Leader of the Islamic Revolution," and informed the death was "confirmed," ANI reported.

In the capital city of Tehran, people gathered at Enghelab Square to mourn, with crowds chanting slogans and holding portraits, the Press TV reported. They also aired visuals from the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, where the pilgrims reacted with grief.

According to Press TV, Iran's government issued a statement warning that the "crime of assassination of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution will not go unpunished" and asserting that the "pure blood of the martyred Leader will uproot the criminal regimes of the US and Israel."

Clips of other reporters have also been shared on social media platforms, where presenters appear to be emotional as the nation enters a period of grief.

Reuters reported, citing Iranian media that Iran is observing a mourning period of 40 days following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The country's Supreme Leader's office has declared a period of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast and public gatherings planned to pay respects, marking the closing of a 37-year chapter in the Islamic Republic's history.

Ayatollah Khamenei was the successor to the Revolution's founder, Ruhollah Khomeini. Since 1989, his "story" was one of unwavering defiance against Western influence.

The official Farsi account of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged his death and posted a verse from the Quran on X in the early hours of Sunday. As per Tasnim News, Khamenei was killed while at the workplace in the early hours of Sunday.

The official Farsi page posted on X a verse from Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:23, which translates to "Among the believers are men who have been true to the covenant they made with Allah. Some of them have fulfilled their vow (by death), and some are still waiting, and they have not changed (their commitment) in the least."