Iraqi Prime Minister Resigns In Response To Protests

Iraq's Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi has resigned following weeks of protests and rioting that he was unable to effectively quell. Abdul-Mahdi's response was closely coordinated with the Iranian government which encouraged him to take a relatively hard line stance that did not work out well in the end. Abdul-Mahdi lost Iranian support after rioters torched the Iranian consulate in Najaf to protest Iran's influence over the government.