At least 22 killed in pro-Iran protests in Pakistan and Iraq

At least 22 people have died following pro-Iran protests in Pakistan and Iraq. Hundreds of protesters stormed the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, setting fires inside the building. Security forces opened fire, killing 10 people at the scene. An additional 12 people died in other protests in Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad. In Baghdad, Iraq, security forces fired tear gas at protesters attempting to enter the Green Zone, which houses the U.S. embassy. The protests erupted after a U.S.-Israeli airstrike killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, who had led Iran for 36 years.

Khamenei's death marks a significant point in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. He was not only a religious leader but also the architect of the 'Axis of Resistance' – a network of pro-Iran armed groups ranging from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza, and Iraqi militias. For over three decades, he invested billions of U.S. dollars to build this proxy network to expand Tehran's influence and counterbalance the U.S. and Israel.

However, the reactions to his death reveal deep polarization. In Pakistan, home to a large Shia Muslim community, protesters were willing to die to 'avenge' Khamenei. Yet in Syria, where Iran had sustained the Assad regime for years, people honked car horns in celebration. This discrepancy reflects a reality: Khamenei was revered by Shia groups and Iran-backed armed organizations, but hated by those who lived under the subjugation of his local allies.

Notably, there has been silence from Middle Eastern governments. Most foreign ministries have refrained from commenting on the assassination of a sitting head of state – an extremely rare event in modern international relations. This caution indicates that many Arab governments are weighing their options: they do not wish to provoke Iran and its proxy groups, but also do not want to openly support a figure who destabilized the region for decades.

Khamenei's Axis of Resistance has been severely weakened after two and a half years of conflict with Israel. Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah died in 2024.