News On Iran & Its NeighboursIraqIran-Backed Forces Open Fire on Iraqi Protesters

Iran-Backed Forces Open Fire on Iraqi Protesters

-

Iraq protests 2020

By Jubin Katiraie

Iran-backed security forces opened fire on protesters in Najaf and Babil, southern Iraq, with gunfire continuing into the night, as well as using tear gas to disperse the crowd.

The demonstrators were protesting against poverty, economic corruption, and meddling in Iraq by the Iranian government through proxy groups and corrupt politicians.  They chanted slogans against former ministers as they protested and even succeeded in blocking the Diywania-al Hamza highway in Najaf.

In Nasiriyah, protesters called for corrupt rulers, proxy groups, and those in power with ties to Iran to be overthrown, while in Babylon and Basra, demonstrators gathered outside a police station and forced officers to release wrongfully arrested protesters.

 The Iraq October Revolution Demonstration Committee released a statement on the recent attack on demonstrators in Babylon by oppressive government forces, which involved running over protesters with military vehicles, calling it a “cowardly terrorist attack”. The Committee praised the brave youth for defeating the proxy forces’ attempt to crack down on the protest.

Back on June 3, Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force chief Esmail Ghaani traveled to Iraq, which we now because he had to obtain a visa; something that never happened in previous years because Iranian officials had more or less free rein in Iraq.

This slight change worries senior Iranian officials concerned about losing control.

Brigadier general Sa’dollah Zarei wrote that this development is an indication of the US military agenda in Iraq. In the piece he wrote for Kayhan newspaper, widely considered the mouthpiece of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Zarei also revealed his fears over Mustafa al-Kadhimi being appointed Iraq’s Prime Minister. He said that the invitation to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg for a visit to the country and the announcement of new talks with the US were concerning for Tehran’s future interests in Baghdad.

In February, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) discovered and published documents showing that 32,000 Iraqis, mainly politicians and senior paramilitary commanders, were on the payroll of the Iranian government.

 Reporting on this, Al-Hurra TV said that those listed who hold great influence in government bodies, “claim to be Iraqis but are closely tied to Iran” and that this shows “the occupation of Iraq by the mullahs’ regime”.

Iran-backed militias have killed hundreds of protesters in the streets and abducted/murdered in their homes many others, since protests began in October 2019.

 

Read More:

How An Iranian “Shrine Reconstruction Group” Launched A Secret Invasion of Iraq

Latest news

 Statistics show that New Year accidents’ deaths in Iran reached 585

Ahmad Shirani, the head of the Information and Traffic Control Center of the Iranian regime’s police, announced that the...

Land Subsidence in Critical Conditions in Isfahan

Mehdi Toghyani, a member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament), pointed to the occurrence of land subsidence in various...

Iran’s Actual Inflation Rate Higher Than Official Stats

The state-run Donya-e-eqtesad newspaper, in a report analyzing the "general sentiment" regarding inflation in 2023, has stated that households...

Iranian Workers’ Monthly $136 Wages Can’t Cover $500 Expenses

The lives of a significant portion of the Iranian population are marked by uncertainty, largely because the Iranian economy...

Iranian Nurses Earn Twice Their Wages in Ride-Hailing Services

Reza Aryanpour, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) Health and Treatment Commission, highlighted the growing trend of nurses...

Iran: Unprecedented Record of 152 Million Liters of Gasoline Consumption Per Day

On March 19, Iran set a new historical record in gasoline consumption with 152 million liters consumed in one...

Must read

In Brief: Man hanged in public in northern Iran

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jun. 12 – Authorities have...

Iran says American woman detained on spy charges

AP: Iranian authorities have detained a 55-year-old American woman...

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you