Iranian Users' Reactions to the Death of Nasrallah: We Will Dance on Your Graves

Following the death of Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah Lebanon, many users and members of the families of victims seeking justice expressed joy on social media, wishing for Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, to meet a similar fate. A user named "Azadeh Khorasani" wrote on 'X': "A great enemy of Iran and Iranians is gone, and the joy of the Iranian people is understandable, may it last." Saba Bakhtiari, the aunt of Pouya Bakhtiari, a protester killed during the suppression of the November 2019 protests, posted with the hashtag "Nasrallah Kettle" and shared a video of herself dancing with her family, stating: "Now it's your turn to die, and we will embrace each other again and dance joyfully on your graves in a free Iran. May this joy be blessed for all the people of Iran." This message had been viewed at least 25,000 times by the time of this report's publication. Farhad Mahmoudi, the brother of Fereydoun Mahmoudi, a protester killed during the suppression of the 2022 protests, shared a photo of Qassem Soleimani, Hassan Nasrallah, and Ali Khamenei standing together, with red crosses over Soleimani's and Nasrallah's faces, writing: "How enjoyable it is to see your destruction..." Saeed Afkari, the brother of Navid Afkari, a wrestler executed in 2020, whose other brother, Vahid Afkari, is currently in solitary confinement, wrote: "Vahid hates Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah. The family is meeting with Vahid tomorrow, and he knows nothing in solitary... Congratulations to the noble people of Iran." A user named "Ismail" referred to the deceased Secretary-General of Hezbollah as "the greatest terrorist in the Middle East" and wrote: "That's it! Official confirmation of the elimination of the greatest terrorist in the Middle East. A day of joy for Iran and Iranians." Another user, "Sarvin Sabatgadam," who introduced herself as a clinical psychologist, wrote: "Cheers to the whole Middle East. Blessed be the destruction of the Middle Eastern terrorist Nasrallah. I hope the dear people of Syria and Lebanon can find some solace for their deep wounds tonight." Some users congratulated the death of Nasrallah while recalling the Islamic Republic's support for Hezbollah, Iran's proxy groups in the region. A user named "Amir Moghadam," who identified himself as a former official of the Islamic Republic, wrote: "The destruction of Nasrallah, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other proxies of the Islamic Republic is the greatest service Israel has done for the world, the region, and the people of Iran. Hezbollah is an enemy of Iran and its civilization, a terrorist cartel of crime, smuggling, corruption, and repression funded by the Iranian people; the people of Lebanon are also fed up with them. Congratulations to Iranians and thanks to Israel, the historical friend of Iran." Some users also shared a post where Nasrallah acknowledges the comprehensive financial and military support of the Islamic Republic for Hezbollah. These users expressed joy over the death of the Secretary-General of this proxy group of the Iranian government, recalling the poverty and suffering of the deprived people in Iran. A user named "Afsun" referred to this post: "You know, Kheirsoleh, your words burned the hearts of many Iranians. The hearts of those children who couldn't go to school due to poverty, the hearts of those fathers who committed suicide out of poverty, the hearts of those patients who couldn't afford medicine. Your demise makes us very happy." Following the Israeli army's attack on Friday, October 6, on the outskirts of Beirut at a location identified as the central command of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia, Hassan Nasrallah and several others, including Abbas Nilforushan, deputy operations commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were killed. The Israeli army announced on Saturday, October 7, that it was on high alert for broader conflicts. The Israeli army stated: "Nasrallah's death makes the world a safer place." The U.S. supported Israel's approach in ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. The Israeli army: "We are on alert for broader conflict." The New York Times reported that Israel had known about Nasrallah's location months before the attack.