Pro-Khamenei protest held in Kargil; empty coffin of Trump paraded
What's the story
A large-scale protest was held in Kargil, Ladakh, on Tuesday, in support of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The demonstration came as anti-regime protests continued to rock Iran. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, the death toll has risen to at least 2,571, as of early Wednesday. That statistic exceeds the death toll from any earlier phase of protest or unrest in Iran in decades.
Protest details
Protesters display symbolic caskets, criticize US-Israel
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets, waving Indian and Iranian flags and showing solidarity with Iranian leadership. The Kargil protest also saw demonstrators placing symbolic caskets of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the road. This act was a protest against what they called interference and aggression by the United States and Israel in West Asia. The demonstration remained peaceful, with speakers addressing opposition to US and Israeli policies.
Twitter Post
Visuals of protest
#BREAKING: Massive protests in Kargil in support of Ayatollah Khamenei amid massive Anti-Regime protests in Iran. Indian and Iran flags waved during the protest. Symbolic dead body caskets of Trump and Netanyahu kept on the road as a mark of protest against US and Israel. pic.twitter.com/JEG6cVWIOt
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 14, 2026
Foreign interference
Iranian authorities accuse foreign countries of unrest
Iranian authorities have accused foreign countries, particularly Israel and the United States, of being behind the unrest in their country. President Masoud Pezeshkian alleged that these nations are trying to escalate unrest by training people inside and outside Iran. Speaking on state broadcaster IRIB, Pezeshkian claimed "the same people that struck this country" during Israel's 12-day war last year were now "trying to escalate these unrests with regard to the economic discussion."
Acknowledged involvement
US warns Iran of action
The likelihood of direct foreign involvement in support of Iran's demonstrators appears to be increasing, with US President Donald Trump regularly declaring his readiness to attack. Trump on Tuesday said the US will take "very strong action" against Iran if it executes protesters, after earlier telling Iranians, "Help is on the way."
Analyst insights
Protest started last year
The unrest, which began with shopkeepers taking to the streets of Tehran more than two weeks ago, has escalated, with one human rights group estimating that more than 2,400 demonstrators had been slain in the government crackdown. Demonstrations began on December 28 in response to a dramatic drop in the value of the Iranian currency but quickly expanded into anti-government protests seeking the removal of Supreme Leader Khamenei.