KARACHI, Pakistan — Large protests erupted in Pakistan and Iraq after reports that U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, demonstrators breached the outer wall of the U.S. consulate, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowd. Local officials said protesters were pushed back outside the compound.
Footage from the scene showed a vehicle on fire near the consulate gate, with gunfire heard, though no casualties were immediately reported. Representatives of the United States Consulate Karachi did not comment.
In northern Pakistan, protesters set fire to a United Nations office in Skardu, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, where a majority of the population is Shiite. Local authorities said the building was damaged but no injuries were reported.
Hundreds of demonstrators also gathered outside the U.S. consulate, with some attempting to damage security barriers before police intervened without using force.
In Iraq, pro-Iran protesters rallied in Baghdad’s Green Zone, home to the U.S. embassy, expressing anger and solidarity following the reported killing.
The demonstrations underscore rising tensions and anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli sentiment in parts of South Asia and the Middle East following the reports.
