Iraq, Iran FMs discuss Karbala consulate attack as Tehran summons ambassador

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The foreign ministers of Iraq and Iran had a phone call on Monday to discuss the attack on the Iranian consulate in Karbala, with Tehran summoning the Iraqi ambassador over the incident, according to Iranian state media. 

Iranian FM Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed "the need to reveal the identity of those who attacked the Iranian consulate, urging Iraq to take decisive stances and prevent the recurrence of such events" according to a statement shared by IRNA.

His Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein “stressed Baghdad’s commitment to protect diplomats and securing diplomatic headquarters in Iraq, noting that he had issued instructions on tightening security measures,” it added.

Protesters started fires at the entrance to the Iranian consulate in the southern Iraqi city of Karbala on Sunday following the assassination of a prominent activist in the city. Iranian-backed militias are accused of being behind the murder.

Iran summoned the Iraqi ambassador to Tehran over the incident, according to IRNA.

The Iranian embassy in Iraq released a statement to the media on  Monday, denying any role in the assassination of Iraqi activists. 

"The Iranian republic did not and will not be asking for the assassination and killing of Iraqi citizens, and it condemns in the strongest terms these terrorist acts," the statement read.

The embassy called on Iraqi demonstrators not to attack diplomatic missions and consulates, calling on the Iraqi government to take urgent measures to hold the killers of activists to account.

Since the start of the protest movement in October 2019, dozens of activists have been assassinated, and some have been kidnapped and tortured. The killers act with impunity as investigations have yielded little results.