Amid Electricity Cuts, Anti-Government Unrest Grows In Southern Iraq
The protests sweeping Basra and other southern provinces in the past week threaten to destabilize Iraq's caretaker government.
by Jane Arraf
Jul 17, 2018
3 minutes
Iraqi officials flew to Tehran this week to try to cut a deal with Iran for electricity, attempting to defuse potentially destabilizing anti-government demonstrations spreading through the country's southern provinces.
The protests started a week ago amid anger over unemployment, corruption and lack of access to basic services such as power. Iraq's health ministry announced Monday that eight demonstrators had been killed in the unrest. Iraqi police say dozens of security forces have been wounded.
Some analysts said the crisis, which could threaten Iraq's caretaker government, illustrates the unintended consequences that U.S. sanctions against Iran are having
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