When massive protests in Basra turned violent on Sept. 4, several pro-Iran parties in Iraq accused the United States of being behind the violence.

Iranian Mehr News Agency accused Iraqi activists linked to the US Consulate in Basra of rioting, vandalizing property and setting fire to the Iranian Consulate in Basra Sept. 8. The news agency claimed it had exposed an “American network targeting the position of Iran and seeking to divide the Middle East.”

Following these accusations, the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) announced Sept. 8 that it would work to preserve security in Basra and other Iraqi cities. The PMU also stated it would stand up to those who vandalize property, after the arrest of dozens of activists who took part in the demonstrations.

Iraqi activists close to pro-Iran Shiite militias began to use the Facebook hashtag #Expel-the-US-consul-in-Basra. According to a Sept. 9 statement from Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the PMU, “The US Consulate is involved in creating crises in the province, and the PMU will present evidence of its disruptive role.”