October brought bad news to Iran, as popular demonstrations in Baghdad and Beirut continued, signaling a potential threat to its dominance over the Shiite Crescent.
Anti-Iran sentiments have been a staple of Iraq's protests since Oct. 25. Tens of thousands of Iraqi protesters view Iran as the main source of the country's instability. Protesters wielding Molotov cocktails attacked the Iranian Consulate in Karbala, home to several Shiite shrines, on the evening of Nov. 3.