Protesters, police clash near U.S. embassy in Baghdad

Angry Iraqi protesters clashed on Sunday (March 1, 2026) evening with security forces near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad during demonstrations againt the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, AFP journalists said.

Protesters tried to storm Baghdad’s Green Zone, where the U.S. embassy is located, but security forces used tear gas to disperse them.

An AFP photographer saw ambulances arriving at the gathering, and reported suffocation cases from tear gas and hearing what sounded like live gunfire.

It was their second attempt on Sunday (March 1, 2026) to enter the area after clashing in the morning with heavily deployed security forces.

Protesters supporting Iraqi Shi’ite armed groups react to tear gas as they attempt to move toward the U.S. embassy located in Baghdad’s Green Zone, as riot police deploy to block their advance, following the Israel and U.S. strikes on Iran and the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 1, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

The U.S. embassy had warned earlier that protests near its compound “may turn violent,” and advised its nationals to “remain alert to their surroundings and avoid large crowds.”

It also warned of “active threats to U.S. interests in Iraq including restaurants, businesses, and individuals.”

Telegram channels and social media platforms close to pro-Iran armed groups called on people to take part in the protests.