The Iranian Australian community has sharply criticised a number of mosques and Islamic centres in Sydney and Melbourne that held mourning services after the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The services, conducted by Shia religious institutions, have provoked deep divisions within the diaspora, reflecting contrasting views of Khamenei’s legacy and his role in Iran’s political and religious landscape.

Several Shi’ite mosques, including Al Zahra Mosque in Arncliffe and other centres in Kingsgrove, Banksia and Melbourne’s El Zahra Centre, announced multi-day commemorative prayers and vigils honouring Khamenei’s life and leadership.

Religious leaders framed the gatherings as traditional Majlis mourning rituals rooted in devotional observance rather than political endorsement, emphasising spiritual reflection on the passing of a senior cleric and religious figure.

However, many Iranian Australians have voiced outrage and hurt over the memorials, arguing that Khamenei symbolised decades of repression, human rights abuses and the export of state-backed militancy.

Community figures such as Dr Rana Dadpour and Nos Hosseini expressed that the vigils were deeply distressing for those who fled the regime or lost family members under its rule, and that they exacerbated trauma for survivors of political violence.

The dispute has also drawn political condemnation.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns publicly denounced the mourning events, describing Khamenei as an oppressive figure and rejecting any celebration of his death.

National political leaders, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong, reiterated that Australia does not mourn the passing of the former leader and emphasised the importance of social cohesion.

In parts of the broader Iranian diaspora, contrasting reactions have unfolded.

Tens of thousands gathered in Sydney’s Hyde Park to celebrate the reported death of Khamenei and express hope for long-term change in Iran, with many viewing the event as a catalyst for potential political transformation.

These celebrations underscored a widespread aspiration among exiles for greater freedoms and a departure from theocratic rule.

The controversy over the mosques’ mourning services has highlighted broader tensions within Australia’s multicultural landscape, where freedom of religious expression intersects with competing narratives about authoritarianism, resistance and diaspora identity.

Community leaders and commentators have called for respectful dialogue and sensitivity as the debate continues and as diaspora communities grapple with the emotional legacies of events unfolding far beyond Australia’s shores.