The United States has decided to close its consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra over security concerns, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The decision, which followed rocket attacks and violent protests in the crumbling port city, could increase tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
The White House accused Iran earlier this month of failing to prevent attacks by Iran-backed militia on the consulate.
Earlier this month, protests turned violent when demonstrators attacked and torched government offices, the headquarters of the Iranian-backed militias and Iran's consulate in Basra — in a show of anger over what many residents perceive as Iran's outsized control over local affairs.
The events in Basra reflect the growing influence of the militias, which played a major role in retaking Iraqi territory from Daesh terrorists. Protest activists have described a campaign of intimidation and arbitrary detentions by the powerful militias and political groups that control Basra, a city of more than 2 million people in southern Iraq's Shiite Muslim heartland.
Some militia leaders in Basra accused protesters of colluding with the U.S., which has long worked to curb Iranian influence in Iraq. Al-Ali has been pictured during a meeting she held with the U.S. Consul General in the province of Basra Timmy Davis more than a month ago.
