Iraqis storm Bahrain embassy, burn US & Israeli flags to protest ‘deal of the century’ (VIDEOS)

Bahrain has condemned the storming of its embassy in Baghdad and recalled its ambassador, accusing the Iraqi government of failing to provide proper protection for the diplomatic compound.

Not all Iraqis welcomed Bahrain’s foreign minister's call for peaceful co-existence with the state of Israel, which Khalid bin Ahmed al Khalifa made Wednesday as the Kingdom hosted a conference to peddle the US' Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Condemning Donald Trump’s so-called ‘deal of the century’, hundreds of protesters took to the streets, accusing Gulf nations of being “Arab Zionists who have sold their Arab identity for a failed deal.”

At around 10:00pm local time, the crowd reached the Bahrain embassy in Baghdad before people began to climb over walls. Soon after, the mob began to burn Israeli and American flags inside the compound's garden, as others waved Palestinian banners to show solidarity with their struggle against Israeli occupation.

While the diplomatic building itself was not stormed, the crowd did manage to place a Palestinian flag on top of it, AP reports. By midnight, Iraqi security forces had cleared out the scene after clashing with protesters. At least 54 people were arrested, Iraqi interior minister Yassin al-Yassiry told al-Sumaria.

Bahrain immediately condemned the violence and recalled its envoy for consultations, stressing that Baghdad has a responsibility to protect the embassy. “Bahrain condemns the attack on the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of Iraq by the demonstrators (which) led to sabotage in the embassy building,” the ministry of foreign affairs said. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also denounced the violence.

In turn, Baghdad expressed “deep regret” over the incident. “The government of Iraq affirms its absolute rejection of any acts which threaten diplomatic missions, their safety and the security of their personnel,” it said in a statement.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!