Pompeo says Iran the common villain in Mideast protests

Iran is the uniting factor behind protests around the Middle East, with demonstrators in Iraq, Lebanon and Iran itself opposed the clerical regime in Tehran, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday.

In Iraq, prime minister Adel Abdel Mahdi resigned "because the people were demanding freedom and the security forces had killed dozens and dozens of people. That's due in large part to Iranian influence," Mr Pompeo said.

"The same is true in Lebanon, the protests in Beirut," he said in a speech  the University of Louisville.

"They want Hezbollah and Iran out of their country, out of their system as a violent and a repressive force," he said.

Mr Pompeo said that protests inside Iran – triggered by a sudden sharp increase in fuel prices – showed that Iranians were also "fed up".

"They see a theocracy that is stealing money, the ayatollahs stealing tens and tens of millions of dollars," he said.

Mr Pompeo has previously condemned Tehran's crackdown on the protests in Iran while imposing a nationwide communications blackout. Amnesty International said on Monday that at least 208 protesters were killed, based on accounts from credible sources.

Protesters in Iraq and Lebanon are calling for an end to corruption, better services and a restructuring of the political system.

In Iraq, they have also directed their against Iran for its interference in Iraqi politics. Mr Abdel Mahdi enjoyed support from the United States but also had close ties with fellow Shiite-majority Iran. Protesters last week torched the Iranian consulate in Najaf.

In Lebanon, the United States has been seeking to isolate Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shiite movement that wields considerable influence politically and through its militia.

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