Crowd gathers at federal building in Westwood after Iran’s supreme leader killed – NBC Los Angeles

Dozens of people gathered at the federal building in Westwood on Saturday afternoon in response to the U.S. strike in Iran that killed its supreme leader.

Many chanted “javid shah,” meaning “long live the king,” a slogan used to protest Iran’s Islamic Republic and signal support for a constitutional monarchy.

The sounds of jubilation rang out in the streets of Westwood after confirmation that U.S.-Israel strikes had killed Iran’s supreme leader.

Nader Sahat, who was born and raised in Iran, said the news brought a sense of long-awaited relief.

“He killed many of us for many years,” Sahat said. “So the Islamic Republic is a terrorist regime. And all of us Iranians, both inside and outside, wants a free Iran and wants this regime to be gone!”

Many in the crowd were the children and relatives of Iranians who fled during the 1979 revolution, with many immigrants settling in Westwood and across Southern California to escape the regime. The region has since become home to the largest Iranian population outside Iran.

Meri, whose last name was not provided, said the regime’s violence hit close to home.

“They killed my brother when he was 14,” she said.

Mehrnoosh Arabestani, who lives in La Verne, called the moment a dream realized.

“Today is like our dream came true,” Arabestani said. “The most dictator, the person who killed thousands of people, 36,000 of people, put a lot of people in jail. Today is dead.”

Last December, the Iranian currency collapsed, prompting protests in the streets as demonstrators demanded regime change. Since then, President Donald Trump has said more than 32,000 people have been killed in government crackdowns.

Last month, and again on Saturday, Trump urged Iranians to “take over your government.”

Anni Rezaei, who lives in Orange County, expressed gratitude to U.S. and Israeli leaders.

“Thank you Donald Trump, our dear president, and Israel and its people and its president for help us free Iran,” Rezaei said.

Sahat said he recently spoke with his father, who remains in Tehran.

“I talked to my dad recently. He’s in Tehran and he’s looking for, you know, he’s also looking for freedom,” Sahat said.

Arabestani said Iranians deserve the right to determine their own future.

“We want to choose our future,” she said. “We want to see which part of the government our people want to decide. And after that, we respect that.”

In a video posted to Truth Social, Trump spoke directly to Iranians, saying in part: “America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny, and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.”