ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday spoke out against protesters attacking the Iranian Consulate General in Karbala.
On Sunday, demonstrators threw stones and burned tires around the building of the Iranian General Consulate, located in Iraq's holy Shia city of Karbala.
The statement affirmed that Iraq would abide by the sanctity of diplomatic envoys, which was outlined in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to which Iraq adheres.
The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 is an international treaty that defines a framework for diplomatic relations between independent countries, allowing diplomats to work without the fear of coercion or harassment by the host country.
The statement added that "the safety of all diplomats will be ensured in Iraq," and that any assault on the international and diplomatic corps "crosses a red line."
The Iraqi government asserted that security forces have taken every measure and precaution to safekeep any diplomatic representation in Iraq and reassured that acts like these would not affect the relations between the neighboring countries.
The incident comes amid widespread demonstrations in Iraq's central and southern provinces that have resulted in over 250 deaths and thousands of injuries.
Demonstrators are calling for a radical change in Iraq's political system, which they say fails to address their needs, but, rather, serves the interests of a small governing elite.
The protests are also directed against Iranian influence in Iraq, most notably with Qassem Soleimani, head of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reportedly visiting Baghdad on Wednesday to shore up the Iraqi government.
Editing by Nadia Riva