Protests broke out in Pakistan and Iraq on Sunday after Iranian state media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed in joint U.S.–Israeli strikes. At least nine people were reported dead in clashes near the U.S. consulate in Karachi.
In Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. consulate on Mai Kolachi Road in the early hours of Sunday. Police said protesters breached the outer wall of the compound and set a vehicle on fire near the main gate.
Security forces fired tear gas and gunfire was heard in surrounding streets as authorities moved to disperse the crowd.
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said nine bodies had been brought to Karachi’s Civil Hospital following the clashes. Earlier accounts from local welfare officials cited slightly different casualty figures. Authorities did not immediately provide a consolidated breakdown of the causes of death.
Reuters reported that gunfire and tear gas were used around the compound. The U.S. Consulate in Karachi and the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Large demonstrations were also reported elsewhere in Pakistan.
In the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan, protesters set fire to a United Nations office building in Skardu, according to local government spokesperson Shabbir Mir, who said no casualties were reported there.
In Lahore, hundreds gathered outside the U.S. consulate, where some protesters attempted to approach security gates before being stopped by police. Authorities said the situation was brought under control without significant violence.
In Islamabad, police blocked roads leading to the diplomatic enclave, which houses foreign embassies and parliament, as a precaution.
In Iraq, pro-Iran demonstrators gathered near the Green Zone in Baghdad, where the U.S. Embassy is located. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the Iraqi capital.
Pakistan and Iraq both have large Shiite Muslim populations, and the demonstrations followed news of Khamenei’s death.
Authorities in both countries have not released comprehensive official tallies of injuries or property damage. Independent verification of all details remains limited as events continue to unfold.
State authorities declared 40 days of national mourning. However, videos emerging despite widespread communications disruptions showed scenes of both grief and celebration.
In several neighbourhoods of Tehran and other major cities, groups gathered late into the night, with some chanting for freedom, honking car horns and setting off fireworks. In other areas, supporters of the late leader expressed sorrow on social media and at smaller religious gatherings.
Telecommunications outages across much of the country made it difficult to assess public sentiment fully. Footage verified by international media outlets showed crowds dancing in parts of Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan and other western cities, while others described a subdued atmosphere amid uncertainty about what comes next.
With protests spreading beyond Iran’s borders and tensions escalating across the region, the situation remains fluid.
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A number of senior Iranian figures have reportedly been killed in Saturday’s joint U.S.–Israeli airstrikes on Iran, according to Iranian state media, Israeli military statements and international reporting. Some of the details remain unverified.
The death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has triggered one of the most significant political processes in the Islamic Republic: the selection of a new Supreme Leader.
Following the U.S.-Israel strikes, Iran has called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to be held on Monday (2 March), and vowed strong retaliation to the attacks. Touraj Shiralilou sent this update from Tehran.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
Governments across the region responded swiftly to Israel’s strikes on Iran, closing airspace, issuing travel advisories and activating contingency plans amid fears of escalation.
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Pakistani air strikes hit a weapons depot on the western outskirts of Kabul overnight, triggering hours of secondary explosions that rattled homes across the Afghan capital and left residents fearing further violence.
Afghanistan said it had fired at Pakistani aircraft over Kabul after explosions and gunfire rocked the capital early on Sunday, marking a sharp escalation in fighting between the two neighbours.
A senior Iranian official has warned Israel to “prepare for what is coming”, insisting that Tehran’s response to the latest escalation in the Middle East will be made openly and without limits.
Cuba has released extensive details of a deadly midweek shootout at sea, showing rifles, pistols and nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition that it says were carried by a group of exiles who attempted to enter the island by speedboat.
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said on Friday (27 February) they were ready to negotiate after Pakistan bombed their forces in several Afghan cities, including Kabul and Kandahar, and Islamabad declared the neighbours were now in "open war".
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
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