Protests erupt in Iraq

Hundreds of supporters of Iraq’s Muqtada al-Sadr clashed with security forces Monday after he announced his retirement from politics. At least 15 protesters were killed. The Iraqi military announced a nationwide curfew, and the caretaker prime minister suspended cabinet meetings, fueling fears that the government could collapse. The United Nations mission in Iraq said Monday’s protests were an “extremely dangerous escalation” and called on demonstrators to vacate all government buildings.

Why the protests? Back in October, al-Sadr’s party won the largest share of seats in Iraq’s parliament but not enough to obtain a ruling majority. Al-Sadr refused to cooperate with Iran-backed Shiite groups, leaving the country in a political deadlock. Shiite spiritual leader Ayatollah Kadhim al-Haeri recently announced his retirement and urged Iraqis to support Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei—a blow to al-Sadr.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s column from the WORLD archives about protests in the Middle East last year that people kept showing up for, even after severe crackdowns.