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Ayatollahs nervous Iraq, Lebanon protests could spread to Iran, accuse US, Israel of supporting uprisings

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the United States and its allies of spreading “insecurity and turmoil” in Iraq and Lebanon.

By World Israel News Staff and AP

Iran is showing concern over unrest in Iraq and Lebanon and is accusing Israel and the U.S. of supporting the uprisings, reports Yediot Ahronoth, an Israeli daily.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the U.S. and its allies are spreading “insecurity and turmoil” in Iraq and Lebanon, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday, saying that Khamenei urged anti-government protesters in both countries to act in a lawful way.

“Their people also have to know that although they have legitimate demands, those demands can be met only through the framework of legal structures,” he said, according to Al Jazeera, in rare remarks addressing the wave of demonstrations that erupted in Iraq and Lebanon this month.

Khamenei accused “America and Western intelligence services” of inflicting damage and creating “chaos” in the region, said the Qatari news outlet.

The Iranian regime has used both Lebanon and Iraq as bases for expanding the Islamic Republic’s hold on the region.

Violence spreads in Iraq

Two rockets were fired into Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone on Wednesday, killing one Iraqi soldier and adding to the violence gripping the country amid unprecedented anti-government protests and a violent security crackdown.

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Security officials said one of the Katyusha rockets landed about 100 meters (110 yards) away from the perimeter of the U.S. Embassy, triggering alert sirens.

The Green Zone is home to several Western embassies and government offices.

Iraq has been engulfed by deadly anti-government protests that have picked up momentum in recent days. Iraq’s semi-official human rights commission said 100 people have been killed and over 5,000 injured since Friday, when protests resumed after a three-week hiatus.

In recent days, the chief of the Iranian Quds force arrived in the Green Zone in the middle of the night to hold lengthy talks with local security leaders, says Yediot Ahronoth.

Lebanon protests continue

In Lebanon, security forces were still struggling to open some roads Thursday as protesters continued their civil disobedience campaign in support of nationwide anti-government demonstrations.

Iranian proxy Hezbollah, feeling threatened by Lebanon’s protests, turned to violence.

On Tuesday, stick-wielding Hezbollah supporters attacked a protest camp set up by anti-government demonstrators in central Beirut, burning some of its tents and dismantling others.

Tehran is maintaining “eye contact from afar” with events taking place in Lebanon, the Israeli daily reports.