Panjab Assembly Pays Tribute to Iranian Schoolgirls & Khamenei

On 5 Mar, India condoled the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who was assassinated in the opening salvo of the Israel-US war on Iran on 28 Feb. The condolence was not offered by the President, Prime Minister, or External Affairs Minister but by a Foreign Secretary. Vikram Misri signed the book of condolence opened at the Embassy of Iran, New Delhi. In various Indian cities—Srinagar, New Delhi, Lucknow, Malerkotla, and others—mourners took to the streets. Protests erupted across Panjab against Israel and the US over Tehran’s bombing. At the beginning of the Budget Session of the Panjab Legislative Assembly (PLA) on 6 Mar, a doctor and PLA member from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi said, 'An inhuman incident happened in Iran in which around 165 girls who were studying in the school were killed. Many doctors and patients, who were in a hospital were killed. Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei was also killed.' He requested the PLA  for silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the strikes, which then observed for a few minutes. The Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi Unit) and the Indian National Congress also paid separate tributes at the Iran embassy. Meanwhile, on 4 Mar, the US sank an Iranian ship just outside Indian waters. Islamic Republic of Iran Ship (IRIS) Dena had taken part in the International Fleet Review 2026 in India between 18–25 Feb before beginning its return voyage. When the ship arrived, the Indian Eastern Naval Command had welcomed the Iranian vessel during its port call at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Upon it being torpedoed by United States Ship Charlotte, the Sri Lankan navy saved 32 sailors, recovered 87 bodies, while many remain missing from the approximately 180 crew members on board. India says the attack was not in its waters and it had offered shelter to the ship, similar to another Iranian ship IRIS Lavan which is docked at Kochi, Kerala currently. Concurrently, Iran has announced that foreign nationals, including Panjabis, studying in the country's educational institutes will be allowed to exit through its land borders (earlier coverage).