BAGHDAD (Dispatches) – Iran on Monday summoned four Western ambassadors for "interference in internal issues” of the country amid sometimes violent protests in the country.
"The ministry called in French Ambassador Bruno Aubert, British Ambassador Stephen Hickey, German Charge d’affaires Jochen Moller and Canadian Ambassador (Ulric Shannon), and Deputy Foreign Minister Abdul-Karim Hashem met with them,” the ministry’s spokesman Ahmed al-Sahaf said in a statement.
"Iraq maintains its diplomatic relations with world countries on the basis of activating common interests and facing common


 threats. Given such a principle, Iraq lauds expansion of relations with many countries of the world by taking into account non-interference in their domestic affairs and preserving their sovereignty,” it said.
The four Western envoys have voiced strong support for the anti-government protests in Iraq, and condemned security forces over alleged use of force against rioters and anarchists.
"The Foreign Ministry rejects the envoys’ comments as an unacceptable intervention in Iraq’s internal affairs, and a blatant violation of Article 1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” Sahaf said.
Protests have rocked primarily the capital city of Baghdad and southern areas of Iraq for two months over the failing economy and demand for political and anti-corruption reforms.
The rallies have, however, turned into violent confrontations in numerous occasions, with