Leaders in Jammu and Kashmir condemn US, Israel attack on Iran

Political parties and religious leaders in Jammu and Kashmir strongly condemned the joint strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, even as security was stepped up across the Valley on Saturday (February 28, 2026). Protests were reported from several districts, while calls grew for the safe evacuation of Kashmiris stranded in Iran.

Protests erupt across Kashmir

Scores of protesters took to the streets in Bandipora to express solidarity with Iran and condemn the attacks, raising pro-Iran slogans. Similar demonstrations were witnessed in Budgam and Srinagar, where groups gathered to denounce the strikes.

Officials said security arrangements were intensified across the region as tensions in West Asia escalated following the US-Israel action and Iran’s retaliation.

Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was placed under house arrest “as a precautionary measure”, officials said. The Mirwaiz was scheduled to deliver a sermon at a Srinagar shrine during the holy month of Ramadan.

A spokesperson of the Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid described the move as unwarranted. “Preventing a purely religious sermon on such a significant occasion is unwarranted and disappointing. The gathering was spiritual in nature and intended to commemorate the life and legacy of Hazrat Khadija, a revered figure in Islam,” the spokesperson said.

Political parties voice strong condemnation

In a post on X, the Mirwaiz said he “strongly condemned the attack on Iran by Israel”, adding that the lack of international accountability had emboldened aggression in the region. He warned that US involvement had pushed the Middle East toward a “perilous escalation” that could destabilise global peace and security.

Leaders of the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference and the People's Democratic Party also criticised the strikes.

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National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah accused US President Donald Trump of hypocrisy, stating that the US did not have the authority to act as “judge, jury and executioner” of sovereign nations. He further urged India’s Ministry of External Affairs to ensure the safety of Kashmiris stranded in Iran and to evacuate them “through every available route”.

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Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti extended her prayers to Iran and its people, expressing solidarity amid what she termed “another act of aggression”.

As the West Asian conflict reverberates beyond the region, political and religious leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have voiced strong opposition to the US-Israel strikes on Iran. With protests reported and security tightened, the developments have underscored the deep emotional and political resonance the crisis holds in the Valley.