Those protesters were not involved in the embassy attack. At the time of the attack, the U.S. had about 5,200 troops in Iraq, mainly to train Iraqi forces and help them combat Islamic State extremists. The U.S. and Iran have vied for influence over Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. The U.S. and Iran both provided vital aid to Iraqi forces, who eventually declared victory over the extremists in December 2017. “Iran has been trying to provoke the U.S. into helping it solve its Iraq problem,” said the Crisis Group, an international think tank.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 01, 2020 23:37 UTC