Iraqis Resume Protests amid Sky-high US-Iran Tensions

At least 13 Iraqis were wounded in clashes with security forces in cities across the country on Monday, as anti-government protests resumed following several weeks of relative calm. Mass demonstrations erupted in Iraq in October, when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest political and economic corruption, as well as Iran’s growing influence over Baghdad. An estimated 450 people have been killed in the unrest, with a crackdown reportedly being spearheaded by armed Shi’ite groups backed by Tehran. In the latest outbreak of unrest, protesters blocked main roads and burned tires in and around main cities, with some allegedly having thrown firebombs at police, who responded with water cannons and tear gas. Iraqis remain angered over the nation’s ongoing political deadlock, with competing factions still unable to agree on the formation of a new cabinet in the wake of November’s resignation of prime minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who is now overseeing the government in a caretaker capacity. The protests appear to have been reigniting following a lull partially precipitated by the January 3 killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in a US drone strike at Baghdad’s international airport. Thereafter, the Islamic Republic launched a coordinated missile attack on two Iraqi bases housing American troops.