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Iran closed its border with Iraq on Friday after protesters torched the Iranian consulate in the southern city of Basra.
Tehran closed the Salamcheh crossing after an angry mob torched the consulate, according to Iraq’s local media.
The attack did not result in any casualties but caused considerable damage to the building.
After the incident, Basra Operations Command declared a curfew in Basra.
Since July 9, Iraq’s Shia-majority central and southern provinces, especially Basra, have been rocked by protests to demand better public services, more job opportunities and an end to government corruption.
Iraqi Interim Parliament Speaker Mohammed Ali Zaini has called on newly-elected MPs to convene an emergency assembly session on Saturday to discuss ongoing unrest in the southern Basra province.According to a parliamentary statement issued Friday, the emergency session -- to be held tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. local time -- will be attended by Prime Minister PM Haider Abadi and several government ministers.Since July 9, Iraq’s Shia-majority central and southern provinces -- especially Basra -- have been rocked by protests to demand better public services, more job opportunities and an end to government corruption.11 demonstrators slain in Iraq's Basra within weekOn Thursday evening, the authorities declared an indefinite curfew in Basra after demonstrators tried to torch several government buildings, including the provincial headquarters and a state television broadcast building.Since the protests began almost two months ago, at least 26 demonstrators have been killed in clashes with security forces, according to Iraq’s state-run Human Rights Commission.On Friday, Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s leading Shia cleric, criticized the government’s apparent inability to contain the burgeoning unrest.Iraqi authorities shut down key port Umm Qasr over Basra protests“We have asked the government -- more than once -- to deal with the situation in Basra,” Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai, al-Sistani's representative, said in a Friday sermon.“But we have found no to listen, as our leaders remain locked in political disputes,” he added.Parliament’s first session on Monday saw fierce disagreements between two coalitions, both of which claimed to have attained a parliamentary majority.Three protesters dead during violent unrest in Iraq's BasraAccording to Iraq’s constitution, the largest bloc in parliament has the right to form the country’s next government.At a Tuesday session attended by only 85 of 329 lawmakers, it was decided to postpone a scheduled vote for a new assembly speaker until mid-September.Baghdad's 'Green Zone' comes under mortar attack
Iraq assembly to hold emergency session on Basra unrest
Turkish police arrested eight Iraqi nationals on Friday in northern Turkey over their suspected links to the terrorist group Daesh, according to security officials.Police carried out anti-terror operations at various addresses in the Black Sea province of Samsun and its Bafra district, arresting 8 Iraqi nationals over their suspected links to Daesh terror group, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking with the media.More than 300 people have lost their lives in Daesh-claimed attacks in Turkey so far, where the terror organization has targeted civilians in suicide bomb, rocket and gun attacks.Turkish security forces have been involved in a long-running campaign to thwart Daesh attacks.Turkish army neutralizes 62 terrorists over past week
Eight Iraqis arrested over suspected Daesh links in Turkey
The Iraqi authorities on Friday shut the strategic Umm Qasr seaport in Iraq’s southern Basra province amid ongoing popular demonstrations in Basra city.Located on the western edge of the Al-Faw Peninsula, where Iraq’s Shatt al-Arab waterway enters the Persian Gulf, Umm Qasr -- Iraq’s only deep-water port -- port is located some 60 kilometers south of Basra city.Since July 9, Iraq’s Shia-majority central and southern provinces -- especially Basra -- have been rocked by demonstrations, which at one point spread to capital Baghdad.Three protesters dead during violent unrest in Iraq's BasraDemonstrators demand improved public utilities, more job opportunities and an end to perceived government corruption.Since the protests began, at least 26 demonstrators have been killed in clashes with security forces, according to Iraq’s state-run human rights commission.For years, Basra residents have complained that foreign nationals, rather than locals, were being employed by the domestic energy sector.Roughly 80 percent of Iraq’s total crude oil exports originate from oilfields in Basra province.Baghdad's 'Green Zone' comes under mortar attack
Iraqi authorities shut down key port Umm Qasr over Basra protests
Three protesters died during violent unrest in Iraq's Basra on Thursday, local health and security sources said.The protesters died during attacks on local government and political party buildings, the sources said, bringing the total number of dead protesters since widespread demonstrations kicked off on Monday to 10.Ten members of the security forces were also wounded, the sources said. Baghdad's 'Green Zone' comes under mortar attackIraqi officials lift planned Basra curfew minutes before it was due to startIraq army blames ‘gunmen’ for protester deaths in Basra
Three protesters dead during violent unrest in Iraq's Basra
Iraqi officials lifted a planned curfew in Iraq's southern oil hub Basra minutes before it was due to start at 3 pm local time on Thursday, Basra Operations Command told Reuters.The curfew was announced earlier in the day in an attempt to quell escalating protests which have engulfed the city and the nearby Umm Qasr commodities port for several days.Video: Iraqi protesters torch government building in BasraIraqi authorities declare city-wide curfew in Basra to quell protestsIraq army blames ‘gunmen’ for protester deaths in Basra
Iraqi officials lift planned Basra curfew minutes before it was due to start