Page 10 - IRANRptOct19

stability in the region.”
In an interview broadcast in the US on September 29, Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, warned that oil prices could spike to “unimaginably high numbers” and wreck the global economy if the world did not come together to deter Iran, but he added that he preferred a political solution to a military one.
“We also told them [the sister countries] that de-escalation should come from the party that is escalating and spreading chaos through hostile acts in the region,” Jubeir added.
“...We conveyed to them our position towards the Iranian regime that we always announce clearly in all venues, most recently at the United Nations General Assembly,” he said.
2.5 ​Iran closes two border crossings as huge protests flare up across Iraq
As huge anti-government protests continued to flare up across Iraq, Iranian officials disclosed on October 3 that they had closed two border crossings including one which pilgrims use when journeying to visit the holy Iraqi city of Najaf, Mehr News Agency reported.
Paralysing protests demanding reforms, and sometimes taking aim at outside influences on the Iraqi government such as Tehran, hit several cities across Iraq, with some protesters chanting anti-Iranian slogans. Some Iraqi social media showed images of Iranian flags being burned, but the images could not be independently verified. Authorities by late on October 3 were giving a protests death toll of 19, with several hundred people wounded. The internet, meanwhile, remained severed across most of the country.
Commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Border Guard Command, Brigadier General Qasem Rezaei reportedly said that the Khosravi and Chazabeh crossings had been closed since late on October 3.
The protests were kindled in Baghdad on October 1, with the focus on the poor state of the Iraqi economy.
Police initially attempted to stop rioters and protesters by firing tear gas, but the crowds grew larger and more intent on opposing the security forces.
The protests appear to lack any organised leadership, but they are the largest demonstrations since Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi took office a year ago.
"We are demanding a change, we want the downfall of the whole government," one protester in Baghdad told Reuters.
The Iraqi government has so far vowed to arrest “rioters”, but said it would address concerns of the massed crowds out on the streets.
A curfew was put in place in Baghdad from 05:00 on October 3, with travel restrictions placed on people moving around the city.
2.6 ​Turkey’s Erdogan urges caution over rushing to blame Iran for Saudi oil attacks
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged caution over rushing to blame Iran for the September 14 attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities.
10​ IRAN Country Report​ October 2019 www.intellinews.com