Violent Protests Erupt in Pakistan and Iraq Following Assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader
Over the weekend, anti-American protests erupted across Pakistan and Iraq, sparked by the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli strike. At least 25 people were reported dead in Pakistan, with several others injured in violent clashes near the U.S consulate in Karachi and other major cities. In Iraq, protesters attempted to storm the U.S embassy in Baghdad, leading to a heightened security response.
Background
The assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei has stirred a surge of anger across the region, particularly in countries with significant Shiite Muslim populations. Demonstrators accuse Washington and Israel of fueling instability in the region and have called for an end to foreign military involvement.
In Pakistan, protests escalated when demonstrators tried to storm the U.S Consulate in Karachi, leading to a violent clash with security forces. At least nine people were killed and more than two dozen injured, according to Fox News and other sources.
In Iraq, protesters gathered outside the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses the U.S embassy, prompting a response from security forces. According to Middle East Eye, Iraqi riot police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Protests Across Pakistan and India
Demonstrations were not confined to Karachi. Protests also broke out in the northern Pakistani city of Gilgit, where at least seven people were killed, according to Middle East Eye, and in the city of Skardu.
Moreover, protests have also erupted in India-controlled Kashmir. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in various locations, carrying black flags and portraits of Khamenei, and chanting anti-America and anti-Israel slogans, according to Middle East Eye.
Reactions and Implications
The violent protests and the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader have sparked intense debates globally. In the U.S, Congress is split over President Donald Trump's unilateral decision to launch strikes against Iran, with Democrats criticizing it as an undeclared war, according to Russia Today.
Internally, Iran faces a test of whether the Islamic Republic’s system can endure without the man who dominated it for nearly four decades, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
Current Status
As of now, the death toll from Pakistan's weekend protests has reached at least 25, with a late-night curfew imposed in Gilgit and Skardu. In Iraq, the situation remains tense with a continued security presence around the U.S embassy.
President Donald Trump suggested that the Israeli-US war on Iran could continue for up to a month. "As strong as it is, it’s a big country, it’ll take four weeks - or less,” Trump said in a brief phone call on Sunday to the Daily Mail. It remains to be seen how the situation will evolve in the coming days and weeks.