At Least 22 Killed as Protesters Try to Storm US Consulate in Pakistan

At least 22 pro-Iranian regime demonstrators were shot and killed in Pakistan’s city of Karachi on March 1 as protesters attempted to storm the U.S. Consulate.

The clash between security forces and nearly 500 Shiite Muslims, who were angered by the major joint U.S.–Israel military operations in Iran, happened after the protesters breached the outer wall of the U.S. Consulate.

“Death to Israel, death to America,” they shouted during the incident.

More than 120 others were hurt. Some remained in critical condition on March 1.

Police attempted to disperse the crowd with batons and tear gas.

The protests erupted after Operation Epic Fury, which started on Feb. 28, killed Iranian Islamist leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of the country’s senior commanders.

“We are monitoring reports of ongoing demonstrations at the U.S. [Consulate] General in Lahore and violent protests at the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi, as well as calls for additional demonstrations at U.S. Embassy Islamabad and U.S. Consulate General Peshawar,” the U.S Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan stated in a notice on March 1.

All U.S. government personnel in the area were directed to restrict their movements until further notice.

Demonstrators also attacked the U.N. Military Observer Group and the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) in Northern Pakistan, according to government spokesman Shabir Mir.

The staff at the organizations were safe.

The ongoing attacks caused airspace closures, flight delays, and shelter-in-place warnings for Americans across the region, as countries such as Israel, Qatar, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait reported being targeted by Iran.

Multiple fatalities have been reported.

U.S. government personnel were moved from hotels in Manama near the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain after the Crowne Plaza Hotel was struck, according to the embassy.

“Please remain vigilant, as the Iranian government and its proxies may seek to target Americans in retaliation for U.S. strikes against Iran,” the U.S. Embassy in Qatar warned in a notice posted on March 1.

The U.S. Central Command said on March 1 that three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five were seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury.

It did not reveal the identities of the deceased Americans nor how they died.

​“The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,” the U.S. Central Command wrote in a post on X.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.