Thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran on Friday for the annual al-Quds Day rally in support of Palestinians, even as explosions struck the capital during the event. Iranian state television reported that at least one person was killed after multiple blasts were heard near Ferdowsi Square. The cause of the explosions was not immediately clear, though they followed an Israeli warning for people to leave the area before a planned strike. State media said the victim, a woman, died from shrapnel caused by a US-Israeli air strike.

The rally took place a day after Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to continue resisting the ongoing US-Israeli assault that has killed at least 1,444 people and wounded 18,551 since February 28, according to Iran’s Ministry of Health. President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior officials attended the demonstration, where participants expressed defiance and solidarity with Palestinians. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that Iranian forces, in coordination with Hezbollah, had launched missiles and drones at Israel using Kheibar Shekan missiles.

The United States and Israel have shown no signs of halting their offensive despite international calls for de-escalation, while Iran has responded by targeting regional sites and closing the Strait of Hormuz.