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On Sunday, a precarious calm rose after the sending of additional troops to the southern city and the curfew imposed to restore order after a week of demonstrations in Basra.
Demonstrations erupted in Basra this month after thousands of people became ill because the water was contaminated and intensified last week after the death of several protesters. Protesters set fire to the offices of most political parties in Basra, including powerful paramilitary groups backed by Iran.
It is unclear who fired the rockets at US diplomatic missions and no damage was done. But some politicians and analysts saw the attacks as an alarm signal to Washington, which sought to prevent Iranian-like factions from dictating the formation of the government after the May legislative elections. US envoy Brett McGurk relied heavily on Kurdish and Sunni parties to support Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's coalition.
"This is a dangerous escalation in a critical period in an unstable region," said Sunni legislator Salah al-Jubbouri.
The United States and Iran are supporting rival Iraqi political groups in a high-risk battle to form a government after the May elections failed to win. The Trump administration wants a friendly government in Baghdad after three years of fighting ISIS and is seeking to isolate Tehran politically and economically after its withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal.
The two countries support rival groups in countries such as Syria, Lebanon and Yemen as they seek to strengthen their influence in the Middle East.
The United States and Iran have been fighting Iraq since Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003, but they have found a compromise with recent governments. In 2014, they became de facto, even if they were clumsy, allies in the war against the Islamic State.
Their agendas diverge more and more as the threat of the militant group recedes. Iran also needs a friendly government at its side as it is under increasing pressure from the United States.
Chatham House researcher Renad Mansour said a full-fledged conflict was not in the interest of Iran or the United States, but with high-stakes play, both sides could easily calculation errors. "Both would like to avoid a total civil war, if possible."
Shiite paramilitary leaders with close ties to Tehran warned on Saturday that they would attack consulates and intelligence services in any foreign country responsible for attacking their offices and the Iranian consulate in Basra.
"The US Embassy is leading the situation in Basra," said Shiite paramilitary commander Abu Mehdi al-Mohandis, who was designated a terrorist by the United States for his role in bombing the US and French embassies in Kuwait in the 1980s.
The protesters were chanting "Iran out," the Iranian consulate said Friday in a show of anger over Tehran's interference in Iraqi affairs and the country's political class, which failed. to provide basic services despite billions of dollars in export earnings. oil, mostly produced in Basra.
A few hours later, rockets were fired at Basra airport, where the US consulate is located, and in the fortified green zone that houses its embassy in Baghdad.
For Iraq, which faces major challenges, including rebuilding devastated areas and preventing the militants of the defeated Islamic State, violence could further undermine its recovery.
The fallout from the protests is reshaping the political map that emerged from the May 12 elections, ending Mr. Abadi's chances of a second term and potentially uniting hostile forces in the United States.
Moqtada al-Sadr, whose electoral list won the most seats and initially formed an alliance with Abadi, on Saturday called for his resignation with several other factions.
Qais al-Khazaali, a Shiite paramilitary leader in the Iran-backed Fateh alliance, praised Sadr's decision and said consensus between the two sides would bring stability to Iraq, suggesting rapprochement.
Jan Kubis, the UN Secretary General's special representative for Iraq, on Saturday urged politicians to speed up the formation of a government that can meet the demands of the people.
"An extended process of government formation creates uncertainty and a fertile environment for political manipulation and acts of intimidation and violence that sabotage democratic processes," said Kubis.
Write to Isabel Coles at [email protected] and Ali Nabhan at [email protected]
