Iran declared five days of mourning after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday.
His death has, however, been received by mixed reactions where some residents were mourning the loss of their leader while others were celebrating the demise of a dictator.
While regime supporters flocked to mosques and squares to grieve for Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, both died in a helicopter accident, most stores remained open, and the authorities did not attempt to disrupt daily life.
A year after Raisi's conservative administration clamped down forcefully to put a stop to the largest anti-establishment protests since the 1979 revolution, opponents released a covert video online showing people throwing out sweets to commemorate his death.
Human Rights groups say hundreds of Iranians died in 2022-2023 demonstrations triggered by the death in custody of a young Iranian Kurdish woman arrested by morality police for violating the country's strict dress codes.
According to rights groups, hundreds of Iranians were killed in rallies in 2022-2023 in response to the death in jail of a young Iranian Kurdish lady apprehended by morality police for breaching the country's severe clothing standards.
The authorities' handling of various political, social, and economic problems has widened the divide between ecclesiastical rulers and society.
Supporters of the clerical establishment praised Raisi, a 63-year-old former conservative judge elected in a closely controlled ballot in 2021.
Many Iranians believe Raisi's death will have little influence on how the nation is controlled, with the establishment likely to replace him with another politician with similar hardline beliefs.
