Sat 16 November 2019:
Relations between Iran and Iraq are deteriorating each day that dawns and as a result of their disagreements Iran has closed her border to Iraq, after being requested to do so by Tehran.
Moreover, this news comes amid protests over rising fuel prices in Iranian cities and month-long demonstrations in Iraq.
Tehran requested the closure of the Shalamcheh border crossing to those travelling between the two countries, citing security concerns.
One person has been killed in the Iranian city of Sirjan during overnight protests against a decision by authorities to ration and increase the price of petrol.
“Unfortunately someone was killed,” the central city’s acting Governor Mohammad Mahmoudabadi was quoted as saying by the semi-official news agency ISNA. He said the cause of the death and whether “the individual was shot or not” was still unclear, adding that other people were wounded in the demonstrations on Friday night.
Baharestan(Tehran province):
Angry protesters burning down one of Maskan Ban’s branches as well as the office of city council.#Iran #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/r5DkfDJQjE— Raman Ghavami (@Raman_Ghavami) November 16, 2019
Iranians’ anger towards their rulers for the sudden hike in fuel prices continues unabated.
This video is from Behbahan a town in Iran’s oil-rich Khuzestan province.
They’re chanting “We’ll get what belongs to us. We won’t accept more suffering”#IranProtest pic.twitter.com/vAS9kvW1it
— Masih Alinejad ?️ (@AlinejadMasih) November 15, 2019
Kurdish city of Kermashan(Kermanshah):
Protestors are building their defence system, destroying IRGC’s Basij units bases and fighting back against security forces.
Chanting anti-regime slogans in Kurdish. #Iran #TwitterKurds pic.twitter.com/Ho5XU19NQG— Raman Ghavami (@Raman_Ghavami) November 16, 2019
Sat Nov 16, 19 Urmia, Iran – Peaceful Protesters are chanting “Our enemy is here; they (Iran’s leaders) lie when they say it is America.” #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/UmpadvSooQ
— Baharak (@Baharak_Irani) November 16, 2019
‘Shocked and stunned’
After months of speculation, authorities announced in the early hours of Friday that petrol will now be rationed across the country using smart fuel cards.
Vehicles for private use are to be restricted to 60 litres (16gal) of fuel monthly, while the price of petrol will jump 50 percent to 15,000 Iranian rials ($0.13 at open market rates) a litre. Any fuel purchases in excess of allotted rations will incur an additional charge of 30,000 rials ($0.26) a litre.
In the meantime, Iraq has been rocked by mass protests that resurged last month. So far, more then 300 people have been killed in the clashes this year.
People are protesting against deteriorating social services, corruption, and an economic crisis, calling for the resignation of the government.
Iraqi authorities have since blocked numerous messengers and social networks, as well as introduced a curfew to tackle the crisis.
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