Mediaboss Marketing

NEW YORK The European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said on Wednesday a so-called Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under consideration to facilitate trade with Iran could be in place "before November."

4:04pm EDT

GENEVA Laughter during U.S. President Donald Trump's speech to the U.N. General Assembly was a sign of the United States' isolation, the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday, Fars News reported.

LONDON British Prime Minister Theresa May lobbied for the release of detained British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe during a meeting on Tuesday with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, May's office said.

GENEVA/LONDON An attack on a military parade in Iran is a blow to the image of its Revolutionary Guards, but the elite force could yet turn the bloodshed to its advantage, using public sympathy to bolster itself at the expense of President Hassan Rouhani.

GENEVA U.S. President Donald Trump should stop interfering in the Middle East if he wants the price of oil to stop rising, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

UNITED NATIONS U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani exchanged taunts at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday with Trump vowing more sanctions against Tehran and Rouhani suggesting his American counterpart suffers from a "weakness of intellect." |Video

UNITED NATIONS A senior United Arab Emirates (UAE) official warned European powers on Tuesday that it was offering Iran a glimmer of hope by trying to keep trade flowing, but that ultimately they would fall behind the United States' tough approach on Tehran.

UNITED NATIONS White House national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday dismissed an EU plan for a special payments plan to circumvent U.S. sanctions against Iranian oil sales and pressed the SWIFT global payments messaging system to rethink dealing with Tehran.

UNITED NATIONS Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday criticized Washington for its hostile policy toward his country and said the U.S. approach was doomed to failure.

More:
Reuters Iran - Official Site

"The enemy is waiting for an opportunity, for a flaw, through which they can enter. Look at these events over the last few days. All those who are against the Islamic Republic -- those who have money, those who have the politics, those who have the weapons, those who have the intelligence -- they have all joined forces in order to create problems for the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolution," he said, without naming any particular country.

The US ambassador to the United Nations said any assertions that the protests are designed by Iran's enemies are "complete nonsense," and that the US would ask Security Council members for an emergency session in New York and the Human Rights Council in Geneva to discuss the protests "in the days ahead."

The protests have become the biggest challenge to the Iranian government's authority since mass demonstrations in 2009. About 450 people have been arrested over the past three days, according to state media.

The rallies began Thursday over the country's stagnant economy and rising living costs, but they developed into a broader outcry against the government and intensified over the weekend. Many of the protesters are young Iranians tired of the lack of economic opportunity in the country.

Protesters hit the streets for a sixth straight day Tuesday. Small protests -- not as large as previous days -- appeared in pockets of the capital, Tehran, a CNN producer there reported.

Video on social media appeared to show police officers and demonstrators clashing Tuesday evening in the south-central city of Shiraz. In the video, people scatter through streets amid the sounds of yelling and honking car horns. CNN couldn't immediately independently verify the video's authenticity.

Of the nine people killed Monday, seven were protesters. Six of them died in the central city of Qahdarijan when demonstrators stormed a police station and attempted to take guns from authorities, state media reported. The seventh protester was killed in nearby Khomaini Shahr.

A police officer died in Najafabad after a protester shot at officers with a hunting rifle, according to state media. Three other officers were wounded. A member of the Basij, a pro-government militia, was also killed, in south Tehran.

Video images shared on social media from the central city of Tuyserkan on Sunday showed protesters throwing chairs, tables and other objects at riot police, forcing the outnumbered officers to retreat. Six protesters were shot dead in the unrest there, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

A man and his young son also died on Sunday when a fire truck hijacked by protesters ran them down on a street in western Iran's Dorud, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. Twelve people were killed over the weekend.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday tried to downplay the significance of the protests, which have spread beyond the capital of Tehran to at least 18 cities, claiming that "This is nothing" compared to other outbreaks of unrest.

But authorities have nonetheless responded with mass arrests and by restricting the use of the social media apps Instagram and Telegram, used to organize the rallies.

The US State Department said it is encouraging tech companies to try to keep such sites accessible in Iran.

"The message: We want to encourage the protesters to continue to fight for what's right and to open up Iran," Undersecretary of Public Diplomacy Steve Goldstein said.

There also are now concerns that some protesters could face the death penalty.

Musa Ghazanfarabadi, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Court, said that some protest ringleaders could be charged with "muharabeh" -- taking up arms against the state -- and accused them of being connected with foreign intelligence agencies, the semi-official Tasnim news reports. The crime carries a maximum sentence of death.

The Association of Combatant Clerics -- an Iranian reformist group led b Khatami -- acknowledged that Iranians face "livelihood, economic, political, and social problems and difficulties" and said they have the right "to express and even shout their demands legally and through civil protests."

It also called on the government "to listen to the voice of the nation and pave the way for resolving the problems and meeting their rightful demands."

But it also accused the United States of encouraging the violence.

"The grudge-holding and sworn enemies of the nation of Iran, with the US at the top... came to support the rioters and their violent actions," a statement by the group read.

"The bitter events of recent days showed that opportunistic and trouble making elements pursue the dirty agenda of the enemies, by abusing the quiet gatherings and protests of the people, creating riots and insecurity, damaging public property, insulting religious and national values, and even killing innocent people."

The association, with Khatami at the helm, led protests in Iran after disputed election results in 2009.

Foreign Minister Zarif tweeted that Iran would not allow "infiltrators" to sabotage protests.

"Iran's security and stability depend on its own people, who -- unlike the peoples of of Trumps regional 'bffs' -- have the right to vote and to protest," Zarif tweeted. "These hard-earned rights will be protected, and infiltrators will not be allowed to sabotage them through violence and destruction."

Rouhani discussed the protests and terrorism in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

In a statement on the President's website, Rouhani told Macron that a terrorist group based in Paris is "provoking and persuading people to take violent actions in Iran."

"We expect the French government to take its legal responsibility to combat terrorism and violence," the website statement said.

Trump has repeatedly tweeted his support for the protesters in the past week, criticizing the Iranian government as repressive, "brutal and corrupt."

Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani accused the US, UK and Saudi Arabia of using hashtags and social media campaigns inside Iran to incite riots.

"Based on our analyses, around 27% of the new hashtags against Iran are generated by the Saudi government," Shamkhani said, according to state-run Press TV.

The UK has called on Iran to engage in a "meaningful debate" on the issues raised by protesters, Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said.

Trump faces a mid-January deadline when he must decide about renewing temporary waivers for US sanctions against Iran.

CNN's Eliza Mackintosh, Alanne Orjoux, Marilia Brocchetto, Roba Alhenawi, Tamara Qiblawi, Jennifer Hauser, Sarah Faidell, Sarah Sirgany, Deborah Bloom, Michelle Kosinski and Laura Koran contributed to this report.

Read more here:
Iran protests: Supreme Leader blames nation's 'enemies' - CNN

Iran has been a party to the since 1970, and has an advanced nuclear program that was the subject of international negotiations and from 2002 until implementation of a comprehensive nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) began in 2016. The United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA on 8 May 2018, leaving its future in doubt.

Iran is not a member of the , and is actively working to acquire, develop, and deploy a broad range of and capabilities. The scope and status of Iran's and activities are unknown, but the most recent Western intelligence estimates have downgraded the likelihood that Iran maintains significant offensive chemical and biological weapons programs.

Mohamed Reza Shah initiated Iran's nuclear program during the 1950s with assistance from the U.S. Program. Establishing the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) in 1974, the Shah had ambitious plans to construct 20 nuclear power , a facility, and a plant for . [1] However, after the 1979 Iranian Revolution deposed the Shah, Ayatollah Khomeini deemed the nuclear program "un-Islamic" and ordered it terminated. In 1984, Khomeini reversed course on the issue of and sought international partners to continue building the Bushehr reactors. [2] Currently, Iran has complete nuclear fuel cycle capabilities including mining, milling, conversion, and enrichment facilities. [3] Iran's extensive enrichment program, which could be used to produce for a nuclear weapon, has been particularly controversial. At its 2015 peak, the program comprised nearly 20,000 gas centrifuges at 3 major facilities. [4]

The Board of Governors found Iran in non-compliance with its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement in 2005, and the passed seven resolutions demanding that Iran halt its enrichment and reprocessing activities. Beginning in 2002, Iran, the IAEA, and various groupings of world powersfirst with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (the EU-3), and later accompanied by China, Russia, and the United States (the )made numerous attempts to negotiate a settlement to the dispute. [5] Negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran yielded the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in July 2015, a comprehensive 25-year nuclear agreement limiting Iran's nuclear capacity in exchange for sanctions relief. On 16 January 2016, all nuclear-related sanctions on Iran were lifted in response to its progress meeting key metrics of the deal. [6]

U.S. President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to "dismantle the deal with Iran," however, the Administration initially upheld the deal. [7] On 8 May 2018, President Trump officially withdrew the United States from the JCPOA and announced the imminent re-imposition of all nuclear-related sanctions. He alleged that the deal was defective at its core, citing Iranian support for terrorism and pursuit of ballistic missiles (despite the fact these are not material to the terms of the JCPOA), as well as a presentation by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleging that Iran had concealed details of its early-2000s nuclear weapons efforts from the international community. [8] Notably, President Trump did not claim that Iran had violated any specific terms of the agreement. Iran has expressed a willingness to remain in the JCPOA despite the U.S. withdrawal, and all other P5+1 states reiterated their commitment to full implementation of the deal. [9]

There is very little publicly available information to determine whether Iran has bought biological weapons. Iran acceded to the in 1929 and the in 1973. However, the U.S. government has accused Iran in the past of pursuing a biological weapons program. More recent U.S. intelligence estimates do not suggest that such a program currently exists. In its most recent unclassified report to Congress on the subject the U.S. Director of National Intelligence assessed that Iran "probably has the capability to produce some biological warfare (BW) agents for offensive purposes, if it made the decision to do so. [] Iran continues to expand its biotechnology infrastructure and seek technologies that could be used for BW." [10] This qualified assessment likely indicates that U.S intelligence does not have conclusive evidence of a current Iranian BW program. Historically, Iran has denied the acquisition or production of biological weapons.

Iran suffered severe losses from Iraq's use of chemical weapons between 1982 and 1988 during the Iran-Iraq War. Consequently, Iran has significant experience with the effects of chemical warfare (CW). Iran ratified the in November 1997 and has been an active participant in the work of the . Iran has publicly acknowledged the existence of a chemical weapons program developed during the latter stages of the 1980 to 1988 war with Iraq. After ratifying the CWC in 1997, Iran opened its facilities to international inspection and claimed that all its offensive CW activities had been terminated and the facilities destroyed prior to the treaty's .

Nevertheless, throughout the late 1990s and the early 2000s, the United States claimed that Iran maintained an active program for the development and production of chemical weapons. This program was alleged to include stockpiles of , , , and possibly , although U.S. intelligence agencies did not publicly provide evidence for these allegations. [11] Since 2003, the U.S. intelligence community has substantially downgraded its public assessments of Iranian chemical warfare capabilities. In its most recent unclassified report to Congress on the subject, the Director of National Intelligence asserted that Iran "maintains the capability to produce chemical warfare (CW) agents and conducts research that may have offensive applications." [12] Iran denies producing or possessing chemical weapons in violation of its treaty obligations.

Following the Iran-Iraq war, Iran committed itself to the development of one of the most sophisticated programs in the Middle East. Iran has pursued a dual-track strategy, developing both liquid and solid-fueled systems. [13] While Iran's program was initially dependent on foreign technical assistance, particularly from North Korea, Iran now likely has the indigenous capacity to develop, test, and build ballistic missiles. [14]

Iran's first ballistic missiles were Soviet -B and Scud-C models acquired from North Korea (renamed Shahab-1 and Shahab-2). [15] In 2003, Tehran deployed a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), the Shahab-3, which is a derivative of North Korea's Nodong missile. [16] Since 2004, Iran has test-fired numerous variants of the Shahab-3, which were designed to increase its range, payload, and accuracy, including the Ghadr-1 and the Emad. [17] In 2008, Iran successfully tested the Sejjil, a two-stage, solid fueled MRBM. [18]

Visit the CNS Iran Missile and SLV Launch Database for a comprehensive visualization of all known Iranian missile launches since the Iran-Iraq War.

In addition to its missile program, Iran possesses a space launch capability. Iran has successfully launched several satellites aboard its the Safir, with reports of an attempted launch from the new Simorgh SLV. Many have expressed concern over the dual- use capabilities of these systems and their potential application for . [19]

Iran is not a member of the or the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation. In 2015, to support implementation of the JCPOA, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2231, which called on Iran "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons." [20] The U.S., U.K., France, and Germany have claimed that Iran's subsequent ballistic missile tests were "inconsistent with" and "in defiance of" UNSCR 2231, with the U.S. imposing sanctions on Iran in response to its ballistic missile tests, most recently in 2017. [21]

Sources:[1] Judith Perera, "Iran's Nuclear Industry," Middle East and North Africa, January 2006.[2] "Iran's Nuclear Program: 1950s and 60s: Atoms for Peace," Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), http://www.isis-online.org.[3] "Iran's Nuclear Fuel Cycle," Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), http://www.isisnucleariran.org.[4] David Sanger and William Broad, "U.S. and Allies Warn Iran Over Nuclear 'Deception'," The New York Times, 25 September 2009, http://www.nytimes.com; "Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement and Relevant Provisions of Security Council Resolutions in the Islamic Republic of Iran," Report by the Director General, the International Atomic Energy Agency, 7 November 2011, http://www.iaea.org.[5] IAEA Press Release, "IAEA, Iran Sign Joint Statement on Framework for Cooperation," 11 November 2013, http://www.iaea.org.[6] "Secretary of State's Confirmation of IAEA Verification," U.S. Department of State, Accessed 1 March 2017, http://www.state.gov.[7] Gardiner Harris, "Tillerson Toughens Tone on Iran after U.S. Confirms Nuclear Deal Compliance," The New York Times, 19 April 2017, http://www.nytimes.com; Baker, Peter, "Trump Recertifies Iran Nuclear Deal, but Only Reluctantly," The New York Times, 17 July 2017, http://www.newyorktimes.com.[8] Remarks by President Trump on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, The White House, 8 May 2018, http://www.whitehouse.gov.[9] Parisa Hafezi, Rouhani Says Iran will Remain in Nuclear Deal without U.S., Reuters, 8 May 2018, http://www.reuters.com; Jeremy B. White, UK, France, and Germany Issue Joint Statement Attacking Trumps Withdrawal from Iran Nuclear Deal, UK Independent, 8 May 2018, http://www.independent.co.uk; Russia says no grounds to scrap Iran nuclear deal, Xinhua, May 8, 2018, http://www.xinhuanet.com.[10] Unclassified Report to Congress on the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions, 1 January - 30 June 2002, Central Intelligence Agency, http://www.fas.org.[11] Unclassified Report to Congress on the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions, Covering 1 January - 31 December 2011, Director of National Intelligence, http://www.fas.org.[12] Unclassified Report to Congress on the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions, 1 January - 30 June 2002, Central Intelligence Agency, http://www.fas.org.[13] Joseph Cirincione, Jon Wolfsthal and Miriam Rajkumar, "Iran," in Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Threats (Washington, DC, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2005), p. 295.[14] Paul Kerr, Steven Hildreth, Mary Beth Nitikin, Iran-North Korea-Syria Ballistic Missile and Nuclear Cooperation, Congressional Research Service, 26 February 2016, https://fas.org.[15] Iran's Ballistic Missile Capabilities: A Net Assessment, Dossier, London: IISS: International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2010, pp. 14-17, 22.[16] Iran's Ballistic Missile Capabilities: A Net Assessment, London: IISS: International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2010, pp. 17-22.[17] CSIS Missile Defense Project, "Shahab-3," https://missilethreat.csis.org.[18] Iran's Ballistic Missile Capabilities: A Net Assessment, Dossier, London: IISS: International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2010, pp. 54-63; Ted Postol, "Technical Addendum to the Joint Threat Assessment on Iran's Nuclear and Missile Potential The Sejjil Ballistic Missile," EastWest Institute, 31 May 2009, http://www.ewi.info; "Sejil (Ashoura)," Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems, 12 February 2012, http://www.janes.com.[19] Bill Gertz, "Iran Conducts Space Launch," The Washington Free Beacon, 20 April 2016, freebeacon.com.[20] Security Council, Adopting Resolution 2231 (2015), Endorses Joint Comprehensive Agreement on Iran's Nuclear Programme - Meetings Coverage and Press Releases, http://www.un.org.[21] Louis Charbonneau, "Exclusive: Iran missile tests were 'in defiance of' U.N. resolution U.S., allies," Reuters, 30 March 2016, ww.reuters.com;Michelle Kelemen, "U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Iran in Response to Missile Test," NPR, 3 February 2017, http://www.npr.org.

Read the original:
Iran Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, and Missile Weapons ...

GENEVA (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that the United States continually sends messages to Iran asking it to begin negotiations.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a news conference with President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Vladimir Putin of Russia following their meeting in Tehran, Iran September 7, 2018. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS

Tensions between Iran and the United States soared after President Donald Trump pulled out of a landmark nuclear deal with Iran in May, and then reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic last month.

Trump has said he would meet Irans leaders.

From one side they try to pressure the people of Iran, on another side they send us messages every day through various methods that we should come and negotiate together, Rouhani said in a speech broadcast on Iranian state television.

(They say) we should negotiate here, we should negotiate there. We want to resolve the issues ... Should we see your message? ... Or should we see your brutish actions?

Washington aims to force Tehran to end its nuclear program and its support of militant groups in Syria and Iraq.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took aim at U.S. criticism of Irans regional policy in a Twitter post on Saturday.

Trump regime flip-flops are truly comical, he wrote. One week, its talking point is that we are squandering our resources abroad, the next week its that weve not financially supported the Palestinians enough.

U.S. sanctions targeting Irans oil sector are scheduled to be reimposed in November.

Iran is facing an economic, psychological and propaganda war, Rouhani said Saturday, pointing to the United States and Israel as the Islamic Republics main enemies.

Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Robert Birsel and Kevin Liffey

See the original post here:
Rouhani: U.S. asks Iran 'every day' to begin talks | Reuters

BASRA, Iraq Protesters in this port city stormed the Iranian Consulate late Friday, setting it on fire and sharply escalating violent demonstrations that began over miserable living conditions but have grown into an indictment of Iraqs stagnant politics.

The consulate was the latest symbol of entrenched power to be torched by protesters in Basra during a week of demonstrations, raising concerns that the unrest would draw a firm response from Iran, which controls several powerful militias in the oil-export city.

The attack on the consulate also upended notions of solidarity between Iraqs Shiite heartland and Iran, the preeminent Shiite power in the region. The assault contributed to a growing sense that Iraq is slipping into a period of dangerous instability as powerful political parties remain locked in a struggle over the composition of the countrys next government.

Protesters said they targeted the consulate to vent their frustrations over abuses by Iran-backed militias in Basra, as well what they see as Tehrans outsize influence over their city and over Iraqs fractured politics.

The demonstrators complained that the militias run rampant in Basra, kidnapping and extorting money from their opponents and creating an atmosphere of fear. They said Iran has empowered the militias to enrich themselves at the expense of the citys residents.

Iran has destabilized Basra with their armed gangs, said Sattar Hamdi, 50, a day laborer. They have the upper hand here and with the politicians in Baghdad. Im appealing to any foreign country, even Israel, for help because weve already lost Iraq to Iran.

Protests over a lack of electricity and clean water during the scorching summer months began in early July in Basra and other Shiite-majority cities but have grown larger and more violent in recent days as politicians have failed to form a national government nearly four months after elections in May.

Iran and the United States have been deeply involved in the political gridlock, each supporting rival factions that claim a parliamentary majority and the right to appoint a new prime minister.

People in Basra have accused Iraqs political class of abandoning them, ignoring the peoples pleas for relief as the politicians jockey for control of a new government. They have expressed their displeasure by burning down the headquarters of nearly every political party in the city, along with offices belonging to Shiite militias that won parliamentary seats in the May elections.

Fresh graffiti outside the destroyed offices of the powerful Badr Organization, an Iran-aligned party that counts Iraqs interior minister among its senior leaders, announced: We demand blood.

Packs of young men surrounded the gated complex of the Iranian Consulate as the sun set on Friday, breaking past police checkpoints as they smashed their way into the empty building and set it on fire.

Dozens lingered afterward, taking photos and videos of the burning consulate as police stood by sometimes chatting or joking with the young demonstrators.

Police had repelled an attack on the consulate Thursday night but were overwhelmed by the growing number of young men Friday, one officer said. He said he was hesitant to draw his weapon on the protesters after at least eight were shot during other demonstrations this week, drawing widespread condemnation from the government and from the United Nations and human rights groups.

Visa services are officially suspended, cracked one of the demonstrators as he filmed the flames and dark plumes of smoke with his cellphone.

Shall we go for the Turkish Consulate next? a friend responded.

A group of protesters gathered around a young man who clutched papers he said he stole from a city council building that purported to show thousands of dollars in allocations to various city officials.

Theyre being given a fortune, but we cant even get clean water from the taps, the man shouted.

Iraqs Health Ministry said Thursday that 6,280 people have been sickened by the water in Basra, which residents have said is too salty for drinking or cleaning.

Protesters have said they were moved to action by the citys undrinkable water and crumbling infrastructure, bitterly noting that Basra is the top export hub for Iraqs oil yet remains one of the countrys least developed cities.

After Prime Minister Haider al-Abadis government failed to respond to their demands in July, protesters began to rally against Iraqs endemic corruption and the political figures that have dominated the country since the 2003 invasion by U.S. troops.

Hussein Hatem, 33, a welder, said that torching the Iranian Consulate was a message to Irans and Iraqs leaders alike that Basra does not belong to anyone.

Our government takes orders from Iran, he said. And no one is looking after us. Weve run out of patience. Theyre busy trying to form the biggest bloc in parliament and they cant fulfill the most basic demand for clean water.

Iraqs Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on the consulate, saying the assault harms Iraqs interests and is unrelated to demonstrators demands for basic services and clean water.

It was the latest security embarrassment for the ministry in two days. Late Thursday, three mortar rounds landed in an empty field near the U.S. Embassy in Baghdads fortified Green Zone. There were no injuries, and no group asserted responsibility for the incident.

Meanwhile, Basra is settling into a new rhythm.

During the day, diverse groups of protesters, including many women, chant against government corruption and unemployment, occupying major squares and boulevards to demonstrate peacefully.

As day gives way to night, large columns of young men in their teens and 20s take over the streets, stopping traffic as they walk swiftly or jog to any symbol of government power they can find to vandalize.

Despite the daytime protests and nighttime disturbances, residents go about their business, sipping tea in cafes or window-shopping at brightly lighted stores. On occasion, they step aside to make way for the clutches of young men chanting slogans such as Iran, out, out! and If we die, we die, as long as the nation survives.

Read more:

Deadly protests rage in Iraq over lack of services as political transition deadlocks

How Moqtada al-Sadr went from anti-American outlaw to potential kingmaker in Iraq

U.S. sanctions on Iran hit an unintended target: Ordinary Iraqis

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news

Read the original post:
Chanting Iran, out! Iraqi protesters torch Iranian ...