Amid widespread reactions in Jammu and Kashmir and Kargil (Ladakh) following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ongoing tensions, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi has, in recent days, emerged as a must-visit destination for several political leaders from the region seeking to convey condolences and express solidarity with the people of Iran.
Over the past few days, several prominent leaders from Kashmir and Ladakh, including Members of Parliament, have called on the Iranian mission, signed the condolence book and held meetings with diplomats to pay tribute to the late leader and convey sympathies on behalf of the people of their respective regions. The visits reflect the strong emotional and political resonance that developments in Iran have generated across parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
On Tuesday, Dr Farooq Abdullah, President of the ruling National Conference and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, visited the Iranian Embassy, where he signed the condolence book and conveyed sympathies on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah was accompanied by Members of Parliament Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo and Gurwinder Singh Oberoi. The delegation also met the Deputy Ambassador of Iran to India and expressed solidarity with the Iranian people during what they described as a moment of profound grief.
A day earlier, Mehbooba Mufti, president of the People’s Democratic Party, visited the Iranian Embassy and the Iranian Cultural Centre in New Delhi to pay tributes to Ayatollah Khamenei. She met Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, along with Budgam MLA Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi.
Mufti said she conveyed her condolences to the people of Iran and prayed for peace for the departed leader. She also raised the issue of Kashmiri students currently stranded in Iran and sought assistance from the ambassador in ensuring their safety.
Earlier last week, the Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon, also visited the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi to sign the condolence book and pay tribute to the Iranian leader. Akhoon described Khamenei as a “towering pillar of the Muslim Ummah” and said the people of Ladakh, particularly Kargil, share the grief of the Iranian nation. He later met Iranian representatives, along with Ladakh MP Haji Hanifa Jan, to convey solidarity with the people of Iran.
The developments come in the backdrop of protests and mourning gatherings across parts of Jammu and Kashmir following the Iranian leader’s killing. Demonstrations were reported in several areas of the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar, Budgam and Bandipora, where protesters carried portraits of Khamenei and raised slogans condemning the attack. Security forces used tear gas at some locations to disperse crowds, and authorities imposed restrictions and security curbs to maintain law and order.
Reports said dozens of people were detained during the protests, with political leaders calling for restraint and appealing for the release of those arrested.
Over the years, Iran has become a major destination for students from Kashmir and Kargil, especially for medical and religious studies. As such, anxiety is growing among parents and relatives whose wards are stranded in Iran and the neighbouring countries. Kashmir and Ladakh’s Kargil district have significant Shia populations, particularly in Budgam, Srinagar’s old city and Kargil.