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By Jordan King
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At least nine people have died during clashes between police and protesters who stormed the U.S. Consulate in Pakistan's port city of Karachi, local police have said.
Hundreds of Shi'ite protesters targeted the consulate on Sunday morning after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday, killing the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The protesters broke windows and set a vehicle ablaze outside the main gate, according to the Associated Press and Reuters.
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Why It Matters
The U.S. and Israeli strikes on Saturday struck multiple targets in Iran, killing at least 200 people, and injuring over 740, according to Iran's Red Crescent, per state television. The death toll is expected to grow as more reports come in. The Islamic Republic then launched retaliatory strikes across U.S. bases in the Middle East, widening the conflict.
President Donald Trump said the strikes were intended to cripple Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities and urged Iranians to overthrow their leaders once the operation ends, telling them to “take over your government.” Iran repeatedly denied pursuing a nuclear weapon and had engaged in diplomatic talks with the U.S. only days earlier to prevent military conflict.
The unrest in Pakistan is one of many protests triggered by this weekend’s strikes.
Pakistan, along with Iraq, has the largest Shi'ite Muslim population after Iran. Hundreds of pro-Iran protesters gathered in Baghdad, Iraq’s capital, where the U.S. embassy is located as well, but they were dispersed with tear gas, according to Reuters.
What To Know
Police and hospital officials in Karachi reported at least nine fatalities and over 50 injuries after security forces used batons and tear gas to disperse crowds near the U.S. Consulate on Sunday, according to the AP.
Police surgeon Summaiya Syed Tariq said the death toll rose to nine after three critically wounded people died at the city’s main government hospital.
Senior police official Irfan Baloch said protesters briefly attacked the consulate’s perimeter, torched a nearby police post, and smashed windows before security forces regained control.
Footage seen by Reuters shows demonstrators holding up photos of Khamenei and shouting “Death to America.”
It is not clear how the nine protesters died, with local government spokesperson Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani saying U.S. consulate security officials opened fire at the protesters.
Authorities reported related protests and clashes in Islamabad, Peshawar, and Lahore, with a peaceful rally in Multan, and said security was increased around U.S. diplomatic facilities nationwide.
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What People Are Saying
Protester Mamoona Sherazi said at a rally in Multan, per the AP: “God willing, we will never bow before America and Israel.”
Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said in a statement: “Following the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, every citizen of Pakistan shares in the grief of the people of Iran.”
He added there was “a day of mourning for the Muslim Ummah and for the people of both Iran and Pakistan” but urged people to protest peacefully.
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Saturday: “Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS. He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an X post Saturday: "We do not understand the reasons for the U.S. attack on Iran. Perhaps the U.S. administration was dragged into it. Here is what I do know: Iran will punish those who kill our children. Our enmity is not with the American people, who are being lied to yet again."
What Happens Next
Authorities will maintain heightened security around U.S. diplomatic facilities across Pakistan.
Officials will update casualty figures as hospitals assess the wounded, and law enforcement will investigate how the clashes unfolded near the Karachi consulate’s perimeter.
Update 3/1/26, 10:25 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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