Agency Report
UNITED States (U.S.) President Donald Trump has threatened Iran after blaming it for an attack on its embassy in Iraq.
The compound in Baghdad was attacked by demonstrators furious over the deaths of militia members in U.S. air strikes.
Trump tweeted that Iran “will pay a very big price” for any damage or loss of life. “This is not a warning, it is a threat,” he said.
But Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by saying the U.S. “can’t do a damn thing”.
Anti-American sentiment was widespread in Iraq, he added.
Tehran has denied that it orchestrated the attack on the Baghdad embassy.
Ayatollah Khamenei’s English-language Twitter account posted a translation of his remarks:
“If the Islamic Republic decides to challenge & fight, it will do so unequivocally. We’re not after wars, but we strongly defend the Iranian nation’s interests, dignity, & glory. If anyone threatens that, we will unhesitatingly confront & strike them.”
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Demonstrators regrouped outside the U.S. embassy on Wednesday. Reports said at least one Iraqi militia had ordered its supporters to leave the area.
The protests starkly illustrate the tenuous and difficult nature of the U.S. relationship with Iraq. The question now is whether this relationship is tenable and, if so, for how long?
The struggle against the Islamic State (IS) group obscured the basic geometry of the Iraqi government’s position. It needed the U.S. military presence to train and assist its forces. But its Shia government was closely allied with Tehran.
Iran, meanwhile, has built up its links to Shia militias in the country, one of which is judged by the Americans to have been responsible for the rocket attacks against its bases – hence the U.S. air strikes. The Americans see Tehran as behind the attacks and want the Iraqi authorities to ensure the safety of U.S. facilities.
But with the Trump administration sending out conflicting signals about its future role in the region; in part a desire to limit its involvement and in part a message of deterrence against Tehran – it is easy to be confused. And amid this confusion the danger of a direct clash between Washington and Tehran only grows.
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