Nine people were killed in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, during pro-Iran protests following the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.
According to Reuters, AP, and AFP, hundreds of pro-Iran demonstrators attempted to storm the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Sindh province, on Thursday. Nine people died and more than 10 were injured in clashes with local police. Protesters set fire to a police post and vehicles outside the consulate's main gate in violent confrontations with security forces. Witnesses reported police fired tear gas and gunshots were heard. A senior Pakistani police official said protesters briefly attacked the consulate before dispersing, adding that "the situation is now completely under control."
Protests spread across Pakistan. In Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, demonstrators set fire to a United Nations office building. Local authorities said they had not yet confirmed casualties. In Lahore, Punjab province, hundreds gathered near the U.S. consulate. Witness Aqil Raza told Reuters that "some protesters tried to damage a nearby security gate, but police stopped them without using force." The Pakistani government tightened security in Islamabad, designating the downtown area housing parliament and diplomatic missions as a "red zone" and blocking all surrounding roads.
While Pakistan has a Sunni Muslim majority, it has the world's second-largest Shia Muslim population after Iran. Shia Muslims account for approximately 15% of the country's 250 million people. Pakistan, Iran's neighbor, is the only South Asian nation to condemn the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran as unjust.