The United States should begin by developing a plan to deter NATO, not Russia, as the expansion of the alliance forces other states to increase their defense capabilities, said the head of the Crimean parliament’s committee on interethnic relations and public diplomacy, Yuri Hempel.
Tehran is temporarily canceling visas for Iraqis, the Iranian embassy in Baghdad said.
“All Iraqi citizens can make a trip to Iran from October 24 to December 27, without needing to obtain a visa at the Iranian missions in Iraq”, – the embassy said.
It is noted that a similar measure was taken to strengthen friendly relations with Iraq in response to the cancellation of visas for Iranians during the months religiously important for Iranians, Muharram and Safar, when Shiites from Iran make a pilgrimage to holy places in Iraq.
However, at the same time, this measure was taken amid ongoing protests in Iraq.
Since October 1, anti-government protests have been held in Iraq, which began with calls to go out, distributed on social networks, with demands to strengthen the fight against corruption, reduce unemployment, and improve the work of public utilities. These protests were the first since the appointment of the government of Adele Abdel Mahdi a year ago.
During the rallies there are riots and clashes between demonstrators and security forces who use weapons. Currently, according to official data from the Iraqi Ministry of Internal Affairs, 104 people have died and more than 6,000 have been injured, including demonstrators and police.