Iranian newspapers did not report on Monday the attempt by protesters to storm the Iranian consulate in the Iraqi city of Karbala because the development took place late at night.
During the violence in Karbala, dozens of Iraqi protesters set tires ablaze. They scaled the concrete barriers ringing the consulate as others lobbed firebombs over the walls. They tried to bring down the Iranian flag and replace it with the Iraqi one but could not reach it. They then placed an Iraqi flag on the wall.
Iranian news agencies and websites later accused “chaotic people” and foreign countries of fueling the Iraqi protests.
Iranian media, especially the hardline ones, accused “disruptive people who are linked to regional countries” of being behind the Karbala incident.
The Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), slammed the troublemakers, lawless individuals and the protesters who had gathered in front of the consulate. The agency accused the US, Saudi Arabia and UAE of “exploiting” the developments for months.
Iran's consul-general in Karbala Mir-Masoud Hosseinian told Iranian media on Monday morning the situation was under control and that everything had "returned to normal".
Al-Alam news network revealed that an “anonymous group” that had besieged the consulate was dispersed after the riot police intervened. The channel correspondent said that the attackers do not represent the Iraqi protesters.
The Mehr News Agency blamed the attack on “influential” parties and accused the UAE of fueling the protests.
Head of the Representative Office of the Supreme Council of Iraq in Iran Majed Ghammas said that the presidential system of rule, similar to the one in Iran, has proven its success. This is why the Iraqi people are demanding such radical change in their country’s constitution.
Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said that the US and Israel are trying to “ride the wave of protests,” citing tweets by US President Donald Trump on the developments in Karbala.
He added that the protests in Iraq are important to Iran because it is a neighboring country and its fate is “linked to Iran’s.”