Iranpress/Iran- In a Friday statement, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi condemned the arson attack and called for the arrest of the perpetrators at the earliest.
None of the staff members of the Iranian diplomatic mission had been harmed thanks to pre-emptive measures taken by the consulate after it received threats a day earlier, spokesman confirmed.
He described the attack as a violation of protocols and said the Iraqi government has a crucial responsibility to protect diplomatic sites.
Qassemi at the same time warned about overt and covert efforts to undermine the friendly relations between the Iraqi and Iranian nations and governments, urging Baghdad to identify, arrest, and punish the culprits behind the serious crime as soon as possible.
Iraqi ambassador in Tehran was summoned over the attack on the Islamic Republic’s consulate in Basra.
Qassemi added that the envoy was notified of Iran's strong protest over the negligence of the Iraqi forces to protect the consulate.
Basra hits by protests against poor public services since early July
Meanwhile, the Iraqi foreign ministry condemned the attack, saying that it harms the Arab country's interests.
Hundreds of protesters stormed and set fire to the Iranian consulate in Iraq's southern city of Basra on Friday.
The building was not the first to be set on fire, demonstrators had earlier set government buildings including headquarters of the local government, the ruling Dawa Party, the Supreme Islamic Council and the Badr Organization ablaze as well.
Basra is an important hub for oil exports, which account for over 95 percent of Iraq’s government revenues. Long neglected, the city is one of the few cities in the Middle East without an effective water treatment system. State officials blame a public funding crisis caused by years of low oil prices.
The city has been hit by protests against poor public services since early July.
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Protests in Iraq's Basra continue
