ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Dozens of protesters attacked the office of MBC in the capital Baghdad late Friday, hours after the Saudi broadcaster labeled pro-Iran figures as “terrorists.” The MBC published a video on Friday entitled “Millennium of deliverance from terrorists,” depicting pro-Iran figures who have been killed in US or Israeli strikes in recent years, notably Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. The video report also featured assassinated leaders of internationally-designated terrorist groups like the Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda. “In this millennium, the world got rid of many terrorist figures who terrorized the world and shed blood,” read a text on the footage. Hours later, dozens of protesters holding flags of pro-Iran militia groups stormed the MBC office in Baghdad and later set parts of it on fire, according to footage obtained by Rudaw. Mustafa Sanad, an outspoken Iraqi lawmaker, warned in a post on X that “the issue does not end with destruction or burning,” adding that they will seek the cancellation of the broadcaster’s license in the country. The Palestinian Hamas movement condemned MBC for the “provocative report against the movement and its leaders,” labeling it a “professional downfall and decline.” Hamas called on MBC to apologize and delete the video. MBC Group, formerly known as Middle East Broadcasting Centre, is based in Riyadh and consists of several channels in regional languages.
