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Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India March 27: Legislators of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference on Wednesday staged protests inside and outside the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, expressing solidarity with Iran over the killing of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Senior JKNC MLA Tanvir Sadiq said the party, as well as the people of Jammu and Kashmir, stand with Iran at this moment of “deep loss,” urging New Delhi to strongly condemn the assassination.
“We are standing in solidarity with Iran. The entire National Conference and the entire government of J&K stand with them. Just as our former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah earlier condemned the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in civil society, we reiterate that stand today,” Sadiq told reporters during the demonstration.
He added that no country has the right to launch attacks on another sovereign nation.
“The way Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, the way he was martyred—this is unacceptable. No nation has the right to attack another. I believe India’s top leadership should condemn this unequivocally. Today, we are supporting the people of Iran,” he said.
Omar Abdullah’s Earlier Remarks
Earlier on March 7, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had criticised the ongoing conflict in West Asia, stating that attempts at regime change through force violate international law. He termed the killing of the Iranian Supreme Leader a “gross misuse of force” and an assault on global norms.
“The only people who get to decide their regime are the citizens of that country. You cannot bring about regime change through aerial bombardment,” Abdullah had said, endorsing comments made by the UK leadership on the matter.
Escalation in West Asia
Tensions in the region escalated sharply following joint US–Israel military strikes on Iran on February 28, which resulted in the death of 86-year-old Ayatollah Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials. Iran subsequently launched retaliatory strikes on US bases in Gulf countries and on Israeli targets.
Tehran’s temporary blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global energy transit route—triggered a significant disruption in international oil markets. Nearly one-fifth of global crude and gas shipments, estimated at 20–25 million barrels per day, pass through the strait.
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