October brought bad news to Iran, as popular demonstrations in Baghdad and Beirut continued, signaling a potential threat to its dominance over the Shiite Crescent.

Anti-Iran sentiments have been a staple of Iraq's protests since Oct. 25. Tens of thousands of Iraqi protesters view Iran as the main source of the country's instability. Protesters wielding Molotov cocktails attacked the Iranian Consulate in Karbala, home to several Shiite shrines, on the evening of Nov. 3.

"After the defeat of [the Islamic State (IS)], all major media outlets focused on broadcasting anti-Iran shows discussing the corruption and widening gap between the rich and poor,” said Mohammed Sameer, 27, a protester from Baghdad. “Extremely poor people blame Iran for backing the corrupt government and its militias, and got sick of Iranian interventions.”

Sameer said that the removal of Lt. Gen. Abdul Wahab al-Saadi, a "hero" in the war against IS, from his post was the "spark for the first protest." He added, “This showed the magnitude of Iran’s influence and urged many people from different sects and orientations to join the protests.”