Iraq is a sovereign country. It should not be used as a stage for the political theater of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Reports that funeral ceremonies for Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei are expected to pass through Iraq, including Najaf and Karbala, should alarm anyone who still believes Iraq’s state institutions must answer first to the Iraqi people. According to regional reporting, Iranian officials announced plans for ceremonies in Iraq before Khamenei’s burial in Mashhad, while other reports said Iraqi authorities and local institutions were preparing for the procession.