Nine killed as Iran protests erupt in Pakistan, Iraq
At least nine protesters were killed when crowds breached the outer wall of the US consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, following news that the US and Israel had attacked Iran and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iraqi police also used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of pro-Iran protesters gathered outside the Green Zone in the capital Baghdad, where the US Embassy is located.
Protesters shouted “Death to Israel, death to America.”
Pakistan and Iraq are the countries with the largest Shiite Muslim population after Iran.
In Karachi, protesters were pushed back from the consulate after setting fire to a vehicle outside the main gate and clashing with police, a local government spokesman said.
Police said at least nine people died, but it was not immediately clear how.
The U.S. Consulate in Karachi and the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad did not respond to requests for comment.
“We are safe,” a diplomat on the compound said.
Reuters reporters heard gunshots and saw tear gas being fired into the streets around the compound.
Video footage shows protesters holding photos of Khamenei and chanting “Death to America” before clashes broke out.
There were also major protests in other parts of Pakistan.
Protesters set fire to the United Nations office building in the northern city of Skardu in the normally peaceful Shiite-majority Gilgit Baltistan region, known for its Himalayan peaks popular with tourists.
“A large number of protesters gathered in front of the UN office in Great Britain and burned the building,” local government spokesman Shabbir Mir told Reuters, adding that no casualties were reported.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the US consulate in Lahore.
There were some minor clashes with police, but no violence was reported.
“Some of the protesters tried to damage the security gate hundreds of meters away from the consulate. But police stopped them without using force,” eyewitness Aqeel Raza told Reuters.
Police said that all roads leading to the Red Zone, where diplomatic missions and the parliament are located in the capital Islamabad, were closed to traffic.
Western diplomatic missions in Pakistan have stepped up security protocols, restricting the movement of staff across the country as tensions rise, according to diplomatic sources.
Corporate sources said several multinational companies operating in Pakistan were also reviewing the situation and discussing measures such as limiting air travel and enhancing security around offices and factory sites.
