Protesters stormed the United States Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday, forcing their way past security gates amid fury over the reported death of Iran's Supreme Islamic Religious Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Videos circulating on social media captured scores of men breaching the compound's perimeter, hurling stones at windows and doors in a bid to enter the main building.

The unrest marks a sharp escalation in anti-US sentiment across the Middle East and South Asia following announcements from Tehran confirming Khamenei's passing.

Eyewitness footage showed chaotic scenes outside the consulate, where police clashed violently with demonstrators. Protesters, many waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-American slogans, pelted security forces with rocks and debris.

Officers responded with volleys of tear gas, creating thick clouds of smoke that billowed through the streets of Karachi's upscale Clifton neighbourhood. At least a dozen injuries were reported on both sides, with local hospitals overwhelmed by the influx of casualties.

The violence in Karachi was not isolated. Similar protests erupted outside US diplomatic missions from Islamabad to Baghdad, fuelling fears of a broader regional backlash. In Iraq's Basra, demonstrators torched effigies of US leaders and attempted to scale the walls of the consulate, echoing the 2019 storming of the US embassy in Baghdad. Pakistani authorities swiftly deployed Rangers paramilitary units to reinforce the site, but protesters regrouped, vowing to continue until the US addressed Iran's grievances.

Khamenei's death, announced by Iranian state media on Saturday, has ignited a powder keg of outrage. The 86-year-old cleric, who ruled Iran for over three decades, succumbed to complications from a long illness, according to official reports.

Hardliners in Tehran have accused the US and Israel of orchestrating covert operations against him, linking his demise to recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian proxies in Syria and Lebanon. Khamenei's passing leaves a power vacuum, with speculation mounting over succession battles within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Pakistan's government condemned the violence while expressing solidarity with Iran, a key regional ally. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged calm in a televised address, warning that such unrest could destabilise the fragile economy.

Yet, protesters framed their actions as retribution for perceived US aggression, including sanctions that have crippled Iran's oil exports and drone strikes targeting militant leaders. Social media amplified the fury, with hashtags like #AvengerForKhamenei trending across platforms.

In Baghdad, Iraqi security forces used live rounds to repel hundreds who gathered near the Green Zone, resulting in two fatalities. Pro-Iranian militias, such as Kata'ib Hezbollah, mobilised supporters, distributing weapons and coordinating via encrypted apps.

The US State Department issued a stark advisory, ordering non-essential staff to shelter in place and authorising voluntary departures from high-risk posts. Embassies in Lahore and Peshawar also heightened alerts, cancelling public services indefinitely.

Analysts warn that Khamenei's death could unravel delicate ceasefires in Yemen and Gaza, where US-backed coalitions have clashed with Iran-supported Houthis and Hamas. Tehran's assembly of experts is set to convene urgently to name an interim leader, but infighting looms large.

Protests have already spread to Afghanistan's Kabul and Turkey's Istanbul, underscoring the Supreme Leader's enduring symbolic pull among Shia communities worldwide.

Local residents in Karachi described a city on edge, with schools shuttered and markets closed as the unrest spilled into neighbouring areas. Eyewitnesses recounted hearing gunfire and explosions from stun grenades deep into the night.

Pakistan's interior ministry reported over 200 arrests, including several alleged terrorists linked to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. As dawn broke, armoured vehicles ringed the consulate, but smouldering debris and shattered glass served as stark reminders of the night's fury.

The international community watched warily, with India bolstering border security amid fears of spill-over into Balochistan.

Riyadh and Tel Aviv issued joint statements denying involvement in Khamenei's death, while calling for restraint. For now, the storming of US consulates from Pakistan to Iraq signals a volatile new chapter, where grief for a fallen leader risks igniting conflagrations across the region.

Agencies