Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani, a member of the Assembly of Experts of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has put the blame for mass protests in Iraq on the US and Israel, the Tasnim News Agency reported Friday.
"The enemy is now determined against the Islamic nation, America and Zionism ... are targeting the Arbaeen (pilgrimage) and Iraq, and causing trouble because it is hard for them to accept the presence of millions (of pilgrims) in Karbala," Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani said in a sermon, according to Tasnim.
Mass rallies engulfed the streets of Baghdad and other Iraq’s regions on Tuesday as people protest against unemployment and poor services. According to the recent data, the number of people killed has reached 44, while nearly 1200 have been injured.
On Thursday, the authorities introduced a curfew in Baghdad. The measure was subsequently expanded to Najaf, Maysan, Dhi Qar, Babylon and Wasit provinces.
Moreover, the authorities blocked internet access across Baghdad and several other regions in central and southern Iraq.