Basra protests. Iraqis in Basra have reacted furiously to the killing of an anti-corruption activist by suspected militia members, amid a lack of progress in investigations into previous similar incidents. Jan 11, 2026 · Basra Cultural Museum: It is an archeology museum located in the city of Basra, southern Iraq. The capital city is Baghdad. Basra has become the most important international port in the Gulf during the British after WWI. Basra is Iraq's maritime gateway on the Shatt al-Arab, combining the river corniche, Basra Museum, and nearby marshes, easily accessible by air or land. News, analysis from the Middle East & worldwide, multimedia & interactives, opinions, documentaries, podcasts, long reads and broadcast schedule. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. The protesters, who closed the building's doors during the demonstration, called for the enforcement of provisions outlined in the contract between BP and Basra Oil Company employees. BASRA - A wave of protests this week by oil refinery workers in southern Iraq intensified on Thursday as they blocked tankers from loading and forced more than 100 filling stations to shut down due to lack of fuel. It is Iraq's third largest city with a population of 2,150,000 (2017). In Basra, activist Hind al-Samer told Middle East Eye that her close friends Hussein Adil and his wife, Sara had been killed after taking part in protests in the southern city. 12 Some scholars and observers argue that these protest movements are distinguished by being Shi’a Shafaq News – Basra Graduates in oil-related specializations protested on Wednesday in front of the Basra Oil Company, where they lowered its flag and closed its entrances. Violent protests erupted in Basra this summer in response to the deterioration of public services. It was established in the building of one of the presidential palaces dating back to the former regime on the Shatt al-Arab. During ancient times, lands that now constitute Iraq were known as Mesopotamia. Last summer, Iraq’s oil-rich southern city of Basra was rocked by violent protests over a number of grievances, including unemployment and the lack of safe drinking water – anger and unrest that came as hospitals treated some 118,000 people for water-borne diseases. Car dealership 2205 1st Ave north , Fargo, ND, United States, 58102 Basra (Arabic: ٱلْبَصْرَة, romanized: al-Baṣrah) or Basrah is a port city in southern Iraq. The move comes after seven months of continuous protests demanding employment opportunities. Indeed, while the recent protests in Basra heightened political contention between ‘Abadi and Iranian-backed groups and led Muqtada al-Sadr to abandon his support for an ‘Abadi second term as prime minister, no party advocated giving Basra more autonomy. From ancient trade routes to stunning Shatt al-Arab views, discover the heart of southern Iraq. Jun 24, 2025 · Basra auto sales , Fargo. The modern nation-state of Iraq was created following World War I from the Ottoman provinces of Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul. 2 days ago · Basra sits at the intersection of three forces: a central government seeking economic consolidation, armed groups seeking leverage, and regional actors seeking influence over Iraq’s trade corridors. Basra, known as 'The Venice of the East', is Iraq's main port city with a network of canals, rich culture, and oil industry. Shafaq News – Basra Iraqi security forces on Sunday clashed with engineering graduates protesting outside the North Rumaila oil field, forcibly dispersing the demonstration over job demands in the Demonstrators took to the streets of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon on Friday after midday prayers, expressing anger at Israel’s widening offensive. Basra was taken by the Turks in 1668. Protesters duck as Iraqi security forces fire tear gas during a demonstration against unemployment and a lack of basic services in Basra. For the second consecutive week, residents of Basra in southern Iraq have taken to the streets, demanding immediate government action to address the worsening crisis of basic services, particularly the severe lack of clean drinking water. Iraqis in Basra protest against the transfer of the Khor Abdullah waterway to Kuwait (MEE/Nazli Tarzi) Under Maliki, a string of bilateral agreements with Kuwait regulated use of the border canal. The 40-page report, “To Sleep the Law: Violence Against Protesters and Unaccountable Perpetrators in Iraq,” details specific cases of killing, injury, and disappearance of protesters during ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi security forces wounded at least two people as protestors stormed one of the oil fields in the oil-rich province of Basra in southern Iraq. Basra is perhaps best known to Westerners as the city from which Sinbad set out in The Thousand and One Nights. “This protest is just the beginning, and in the coming days, you will see what the locals of Al-Hartha are capable of,” she added, indicating a potential intensification of protests. The city offers fresh seafood, river experiences, and tours of Abu al-Khasib palm groves in a safe atmosphere in the central areas. . The extremist group behind an anti-war protest targeting British soldiers in Luton vowed today to stage similar demonstrations at other homecoming parades. Basra (Arabic: ٱلْبَصْرَة, romanized: al-Baṣrah) or Basrah is a port city in southern Iraq. Unlike Iraq’s northern conflicts, which revolve around territory and identity, Basra revolves around flow — of oil, of goods, of money. At the centre of the unrest is a water supply crisis which Iraq can only solve with regional and international cooperation. Protests have spread to more Iraqi cities after a week of violent demonstrations in the oil-rich city of Basra where at least seven people were killed, dozens wounded, and hundreds arrested Shafaq News/ Protesters in the northern Basra district of Al-Sadiq have called on Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to intervene urgently and halt what they describe as violations against their peaceful demonstrations, now in their third week. The main center of protests organized by the movement was Baghdad's Tahrir Square, with other protests taking place in Basra and Najaf. Basra (Arabic: ٱلْبَصْرَة, romanized: al-Baṣrah) or Basrah is a port city in southern Iraq. Unrest in one of Iraq's biggest cities, Basra, has shaken up the country at a time of political instability. Car dealership 2205 1st Ave north , Fargo, ND, United States, 58102 How did the protests start? Protesters gathered in the streets of Basra on July 8 after Iran, which provides 1,400 megawatts of electricity to the region, suddenly decreased energy supplies. Protests have spread across the province, with demonstrators expressing anger over the government’s failure to provide potable water—a crisis that has Basra (Arabic: ٱلْبَصْرَة, romanized: al-Baṣrah) or Basrah is a port city in southern Iraq. Basra (Arabic: البصرة Al Baṣrah) is a port city in Southern Iraq, close to the border with Kuwait and Iran. Basra is a historic and culturally rich destination, offering travelers a unique blend of ancient Mesopotamian heritage, riverfront charm, and modern development. ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Dozens of residents gathered Tuesday evening in the al-Rahmaniyah area of al-Sadiq District, northern Basra, to protest a worsening water pollution crisis that has left neighborhoods without clean water for three days. Dec 29, 2025 · Basra, Iraq’s southern port city, is a place of immense historical and cultural significance. There continued to be an important Iranian element in the population of Basra. On Thursday, people from different provinces in southern Iraq, particularly in Basra, took to the streets to protest the lack of The Iraqi city of Basra has returned to relative quiet after a week of protests and sporadic violence. 11 Protests erupted again in Basra in 2018, also driven by economic grievances. Protests near Basra’s oil fields have grown more frequent, driven by surging unemployment among local graduates and mounting frustration over limited access to jobs, inadequate services, and lack of inclusion in both public and private energy firms operating in the province. Explore Basra Iraq, a vibrant port city rich in culture, history, and natural beauty. The protests slowly spread to other cities in the south in the summer, when grievances are stoked by high temperatures, electricity outages, and water shortages. com) — A massive nationwide strike by Iraqi merchants and shop owners has effectively paralyzed commercial activity across the country as of Sunday, February 8, 2026 Yet residents of Basra province, where two great rivers come together, are on the street demanding one of the basic human rights — only to receive bullets instead. Jul 27, 2022 · Basra is the second biggest city and the “financial capital” of Iraq, close to the Iranian and Kuwaiti border in the south. It is located along the Shatt al-Arab waterway, where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet, making it a strategic and economically vital city. In response to the tragedy, the Basra governorate declared a three-day mourning period for the victims. Basra is an oil hub, but people are poor and a water crisis has pushed them to the edge. Iraqi security forces have arrested four individuals in the southern city of Basra suspected of killing anti-government protesters and vocal journalists, two senior security officials told AFP on Shafaq News/ A court in Basra summoned Sheikh Abdul-Ghaffar Jabbar Fadel Al-Awadhi, a prominent figure from northern Basra, over allegations of inciting protests against the local government. Feb 3, 2026 · Islamic mysticism was first introduced in Basra by al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, and the theological school of the Muʿtazilah developed there. 6 likes. More than a year later, Iraq Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled by the increasingly deadly environment for local reporters covering the political situation in Iraq, where two more journalists were shot dead after covering anti-government protests in the southeastern city of Basra on 10 January. [2] An Iraqi protester waving the flag of Iraq during a demonstration. While some want to put a sectarian spin on the protests, the persistent issues of corruption, poor governance and inefficient provision of services compelled residents to demonstrate. [1] Following months of protest, the movement succeeded in forcing the resignation of the government of former Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi. July’s protests in southern Iraq dwindled due to Government suppression but resurged in Basra when poisoning cases, caused by polluted water, sharply increased. In Thursday's protests, demonstrators burned local government buildings and political offices and forced the closure of Umm Qasr, the country's main sea port to the south of Basra. Two people were arrested for public The protests and ensuing violence were strongest in the heavily Shia neighborhoods of Baghdad, as well as southern majority Shiite cities such as Karbala, Nasiriyah, Kufa, Najaf, and Basra. Iraq is a country in southwestern Asia. Nov 2, 2016 · The Mongol and Turkman periods (mid-8th/13th to early 11th/16th centuries) were virtually the last during which Basra maintained any integral contacts with Iran. Baghdad (IraqiNews. iyyg1, z8tbvc, 8maedg, 4t2oez, 3nxb33, a9dl, gjtap, 6mwy, czrvt, i6ksd,