(AP) — Throngs of people poured into Enghelab, or Revolution, square in Tehran to pledge their backing for the choice of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s former supreme leader, after his father Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening salvoes of the war on Feb. 28.

Demonstrators waved flags of the Islamic Republic and chanted slogans like “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” 10 days into a devastating war that has engulfed the wider Middle East.

Many shook their fists and held photos of the father and son aloft under blue skies.

“Today we are here to pledge to Grand Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei that we will sacrifice our blood to the leadership,” said demonstrator Assad Assadi. “We also want to tell the criminal America not to interfere in the affairs of Iran and the region.”