Iraq summons US diplomat over offensive comments

Iraq's Foreign Ministry on Sunday said that it has summoned the charge d'affaires of the US embassy in Baghdad over comments on social media considered offensive to the diplomatic norms.

Ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahaf told Xinhua news agency that the charge d'affaires was summoned on what was considered "a violation of diplomatic norms and international rules governing the operation of missions in host states".

The summoning came after the US embassy in Baghdad accused Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of corruption while his people were living in poverty.

"The publishing by a diplomatic mission in Iraq against one of Iraq's neighbors and its religious or political symbols is contrary to the principles of the Iraqi constitution and Iraqi foreign policy," al-Sahaf said.

The Ministry issued a statement late Saturday demanding the US embassy to "delete the offensive publication, and refrain from issuing such publications in the future".

--IANS

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