In a stunning display of public dissent amid escalating regional conflict, residents of Tehran were heard chanting "Death to Mojtaba" from their windows shortly before Mojtaba Khamenei was named Iran's new Supreme Leader, succeeding his slain father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Assembly of Experts confirmed 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei as the third Supreme Leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, following his father's assassination in late February U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran that sparked the ongoing Middle East war. Long viewed as a potential heir due to his close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mojtaba's swift appointment comes as Iranian missiles rain on Israel and Israeli forces hit back at Tehran targets.

A brief video from Tehran's Ekbatan neighborhood captured women leading the nighttime chants in Persian, blending with calls to prayer in the distance—a rare, bold rejection broadcast widely on social media despite tight regime controls. Iranian authorities have not commented, but the footage recalls the 2022 Mahsa Amini protests, where similar public fury challenged the clerical establishment.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Mojtaba's rule lacks legitimacy without American approval, while Israel signals potential strikes on the new leader. With over 1,300 Iranian casualties reported alongside strikes on fuel depots and military sites, the chants underscore a populace strained by war, sanctions, and repression—hinting at potential cracks in the regime's foundation.