Iraq condemns torching of Iranian consulate in Najaf

By Amir Al-Saadi

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraq on Thursday condemned the attack on the Iranian consulate in its southern Najaf city.

“We believe that its purpose is clear; to harm the historical relations between Iraq and Iran,” the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The condemnation came after protesters stormed the compound and set fire to the entire facility.

“While we affirm that the demonstrations are a guaranteed right and that the demands of the demonstrators were and are still acceptable to the government, we have always warned against the entry of persons who want to divert the demonstrations,” the ministry said.

"The consular exposure in Najaf is clear evidence of their agendas that are far from national demands," it added.

Security forces guarding the consulate attempted to disperse the protesters by using tear gas, but to no avail.

Iraq has been rocked by mass protests since early October against poor living conditions and corruption. Protesters' demands later spiraled into calls for dissolving Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi's government.

According to Iraq's High Commission for Human Rights, at least 348 Iraqis have been killed and 15,000 have been injured since protests began Oct. 1.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara.