Mob Storms US Consulate in Karachi Following Killing of Iran's Supreme Leader

Hundreds of people stormed the US Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, smashing windows and setting part of the building ablaze following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in coordinated US-Israeli strikes. Clashes between protesters and security forces resulted in at least one protester killed and several wounded.

Key points

• The attack on the consulate occurred hours after Iranian state media confirmed Khamenei's death in strikes carried out by Israel and the United States.
• Police and paramilitary forces used batons and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd in Karachi.
• The Iranian government announced a 40-day mourning period following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was 86.
• Protests also occurred outside the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, with demonstrators accusing Washington of fueling instability.
• The Iranian Embassy in Pakistan condemned the targeting of its leadership as a "cowardly, hideous and barbaric terrorist act."
• The Iranian Embassy pledged continuity of leadership and governance in accordance with its Constitution.

Why it matters

The violence in Karachi reflects regional outrage over the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, escalating tensions following the US-Israeli military action against Iran.