Iranians in Los Angeles celebrate after Iran’s supreme leader was killed

LOS ANGELES (NBC, KYMA) - Many Iranians in Los Angeles celebrated throughout Saturday after learning of the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Many have friends and family still in the country and say this is a turning point for Iran.

In the heart of Little Tehran, the mood is joyful and electric, with people dancing in the streets, waving Iranian and American flags.

"This is a very special time, and this is a very good day," said Rumi, a six-year-old Iranian American.

"Not only the best place for Iranian, but the world is going to be a better place. An evil regime has been eliminated," said Rachel Keshmiri, who left Iran 35 years ago.

On Westwood Blvd, cars were honking their support to a cheering crowd.

Known as Tehrangeles, it is home to one of the largest Iranian communities outside Iran.

"It's a great feeling, seeing all my regulars, seeing people from out of town coming in to celebrate and having a place that they can hang out and feel safe and feel comfortable. And it's just, it really, it touches my heart," said Freddy Kashani, owner of Saffron and Rose.

A moment that for many Iranian Americans and Iranian immigrants say feels like a long-held dream coming true.

"Tonight is such a momentous moment in our family because my kids get to see a free Iran. And my entire life, I'm an Iranian immigrant, I've known Iran under the reign of Khamenei, where we were oppressed and my parents left the country so that my sister and I could have a free life," said Sepi Makabi, who lives in West Hollywood.

Makabi is hopeful that women of Iran can finally experience true freedom after being denied for decades under Iran's Islamic Republic.

"We don't have to wear the hijab. We can have access to education. We can own businesses. If we want a divorce, we can get a divorce, not me. But we have the basic rights that women all around the world have in the free world," Makabi shared.

As people look forward to a political change in Iran, they're also remembering 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish Iranian woman who was arrested by Iran's morality police for not wearing a proper hijab and died in state custody in 2022.

A mural in Glendale honors her memory and the movement her death ignited.

"A symbolic character...Iranian lady who demonstrated for woman, life, freedom and got killed, got arrested," said one Los Angeles resident.

Amini's death sparked nationwide protests and highlighted the struggle for women's rights in Iran.