Alwaght- Iran has opened a new consulate building in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra after the previous one was torched during an attack on 7 September.
Following the “bitter” incident, “which was condemned by many of Iraq’s political and non-political figures, Iranian diplomats were immediately resettled in a new building and resumed their work,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi as saying on Tuesday.
The attack took place on Friday after the hooligans and saboteurs entered the facility, which the Islamic Republic had leased from Iraq.
Iran has called on Iraqi authorities apprehend and prosecuted the perpetrators.
Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the attack. The city of 2.5 million has been the scene of protests against mismanagement and poor public services since July.
Last week alone, at least 12 protesters were killed during scuffles with security forces and many of the city’s institutions were set on fire.
The violence has also featured instances of attempted infiltration into the oil production and processing facilities in the city.
On Sunday, Iraq's Popular Mobilization Unites known in Arabic as Hashd al-Sha’abi said it had evidence showing that the United States diplomatic missions in the Arab country had instigated the violence in Basra.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday paid a visit to Basra, a week after protests over alleged corruption and government neglect escalated into deadly violence.
“In the past, Basra did not have an efficient management to improve its status quo. We came here to cooperate with local residents and to provide them with the services they need. We will not leave Basra until several projects aimed at improving public services are launched,” Abadi said in a statement.
