Security forces remained on heightened alert at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday morning as a precaution following protests by members of the Shia community over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Protests were reported in several parts of India after Khamenei was killed in airstrikes on February 28. In Srinagar, members of the Shia community held a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday, gathering to mourn the cleric’s death. Similar protests also took place earlier in Bandipore and Ramban.

In Ramban, demonstrators raised slogans such as “Tum kitne Hosseini maroge...har ghar se Hosseini niklega,” meaning “How many Hosseinis will you kill? From every home, a Hosseini will rise.” Protesters also burned an effigy of US President Donald Trump during the demonstration. In Bandipore, participants carried portraits of the late Iranian leader while expressing grief and condemning the incident. Earlier protests with similar sentiments had also been held in Budgam and Srinagar following reports of the Iranian leader’s death.

At the diplomatic level, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi and signed the condolence book on behalf of the Government of India. During the visit, he conveyed India’s sympathies to Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali. The Iranian Embassy also lowered its national flag to half mast as a mark of mourning.

The developments come amid rising tensions in West Asia after a joint military strike by the United States and Israel on Iranian territory reportedly led to the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior officials. In response, Iran launched multiple waves of drone and missile attacks across parts of the region, with the conflict entering its seventh day. Tehran’s retaliatory strikes have targeted American military bases and Israeli assets, while Israel has continued operations against Iranian positions and expanded its military actions toward Lebanon, including strikes against Hezbollah.