Hundreds of Iraqis attempted to storm Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, where the US embassy is located, after the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, an AFP journalist reported.

“Their attempts had been thwarted so far, but they keep trying,” a security source told AFP.

AFP’s journalist said protesters, some holding flags of pro-Iran armed groups, threw stones at security forces, who responded with tear gas.

Local media reported protests in other provinces in southern Iraq.