

can’t say what this would mean for khameini or a similar figure dying dying if anything so take this with a pile of salt but i think martyrdom is pretty relevant for shiʽis, especially that of the 3rd Imam ḥusayn (and his entourage) at karbala which is commemorated every year and involves the largest annual pilgrimage in the world (something like 20 million people). for twelvers (the kind of shiʽi Iran is) in particular this seems to be a big and pretty emotional affair so if i had to guess i’d say it could have some weight

“We are deeply concerned about the nuclear situation in Iran” - Ursula von der Leyen
probably like 24 hours before everyone forgets and goes back to condemning Iran for its response