Iraqi National Security Adviser Qassem al-Araji meets with French Ambassador to Baghdad Patrick Durel in Baghdad to discuss regional developments and diplomatic security.
Iraq vows to protect embassies after Green Zone unrest, militia threats
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s national security adviser Qasim al-Araji said Saturday the government is committed to protecting all embassies and diplomatic missions in the country and “will not allow them to be harmed,” following unrest near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and threats by an Iran-aligned militia group to target diplomatic missions across the region.
Al-Araji made the remarks during a meeting with French Ambassador Patrick Durel, where the two also discussed regional escalation and the importance of international pressure to halt the war and return to dialogue.
The statements come after the Islamic Resistance in Iraq warned Friday that “any harm to the security of the southern suburb, crowded with civilians, will inevitably be met with a threat to the security of embassies of the attacking states whether in Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait or Lebanon,” linking the fate of diplomatic missions to Israeli strikes on Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood.
The reassurances follow protests on March 1, when Iraqi security forces dispersed pro-Iran demonstrators with tear gas after crowds attempted twice to breach the Green Zone and reach the U.S. Embassy. Some demonstrators vowed to storm the compound. The U.S. Embassy had warned that demonstrations near its premises “may turn violent,” while the Spanish Embassy advised its citizens to avoid the area.