Iran Press/Middle East: Protesters condemned US deployment of military forces to the region and inside the Iraq. They chanted "no to war" in central Baghdad and the southern city of Basra, Reuters reported.
Iraqis worry that their country will be caught up in any possible war between US and Iran after tensions spiked earlier this month when US President Donald Trump’s administration said it had sent additional forces to the Middle East.
Iraqi politicians and leaders have called for calm and the Iraqi government has tried to position itself as a mediator between the two sides.
Iraq has said it will send delegations to Washington and Tehran to help calm tensions.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Shi’ite politician and the former prime minister of the country, Nouri al-Maliki, has warned the US to avoid using Iraq as a launchpad for its war against Iran.
Maliki said the Iranian authorities do not seek war, but Iran has the right to defend itself if the US attacks Iran.
Tensions between US and Iran escalated since the US withdrawal from 2015’s Iran Nuclear Deal and the reimposition of the sanctions against Tehran.
Washington decided on Friday to deploy an additional 1,500 troops to the Middle East. It has already sent aircraft carrier strike group, B-52 bombers, and patriot missile batteries to the Persian Gulf.
Zarif on Friday at the end of his trip to the Pakistan reiterated Iran's rejection of the US's extra military deployments to the region.
Iran "will see the end of Trump, but he will never see the end of Iran," Zarif said. 101/205
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