What scenario has infiltrators started in Iraq?

By Ramin Hossein Abadian

Iraq has recently witnessed many incidents, one of which is attack on the Iranian consulate in Najaf by rioters. The latest reports indicate that the rioters were not natives of Najaf.

According to Iraqi police, more than 50 security forces were killed in the attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s consulate in Najaf.

The Governor of Najaf, Luay al-Yassiry, condemned the attack on Iran’s consulate in Najaf, saying that Iraq will foil the plot in the country. At the same time, Baghdad’s government also reacted officially to the attack by the rioters.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry also issued a statement condemning the attack on Iran’s consulate and said that the rioters aim to undermine the historic ties between the two countries.  The statement urged Iraqi protesters to be aware of those who intend to exploit the demonstrations.

As the Iraqi government has stated, the main goal of agitators who provoked attack on the consulate is to undermine the strategic Baghdad-Tehran ties.

However, the position of Iraq’s government shows that rioters’ action did not have the slightest impact on the relations between the two countries. Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, Iraj Masjedi, rejected the claims that Iraqi people were involved in the attack and reiterated the strong ties between Baghdad and Tehran.

The Saudis appear to have formally and publicly backed anti-Iran riot acts in Iraq.

In this regard, the Saudi Ambassador to Egypt, Osama al-Nuqali, said in his insolent remarks that the Iranians should expect more reactions and what will happen next will not be less than the recent attack. This comment suggests the possibility of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the act of sabotage.

The attack on the Iranian consulate in Najaf was not the end of recent incidents. The infiltrators have even threated that they will attack offices of Marjas in the city.

Following the threats by the infiltrators, the PMF (Popular Mobilization Forces) have been widely deployed in Najaf. The deputy chairman of the PMF, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, emphasized the decisive support for Ayatollah Sistani, saying that the PMF forces are under the command of the religious authority.

In the meanwhile, certain other Iraqi groups, such as Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), the National Wisdom Movement, and some parliamentarians referred to the religious authority as their red line.

In any case, it is clear that the recent events in Najaf are a new scenario, which is being led by foreign elements and carried out by the infiltrators in Iraq.