![People gather to protest against unemployment, corruption and lack of public services in Baghdad, Iraq on 25 October 2019 [Murtadha Sudani/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20191025_2_38993977_48861521-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Iran yesterday warned its citizens against travelling to Iraq as anti-government protests escalate.
“Due to the ongoing escalation in Iraq, citizens and visitors are requested to delay their trips until further notice,” Mehr quoted a statement by the Iranian foreign ministry as saying.
Thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets this week in a second wave of protests against a government and a political elite they say is corrupt and out of touch. The death toll, since a broader wave of unrest started on 1 October, is at least 250.
Iranians visit Iraq throughout the year to mark a number of religious occasions to visit Shia shrines.
READ: Iraqi protesters pack Baghdad square as anti-government movement gathers momentum