At least three houses were completely destroyed by the explosion of a cooking gas cylinder that was installed on the rooftop of one of them.

The abandonment of parched fields, suicides among farmers and violent protests by jobless young men all point to a country that is struggling to recover from decades of war in the face of a worsening climate crisis.

An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman says the latest cross-border military action is necessary to 'preserve the security' of Iranian territory.

The presidency, traditionally occupied by a Kurd, is a largely ceremonial position, but the vote for Rashid was a key step toward forming a new government, which politicians have failed to do since the election.

At least 86 people were wounded, about half of them members of the security forces, medical and security sources say.

Apologising to Iraqis after 22 people were killed in clashes between an armed group loyal to him and rival Shiite Muslim factions backed by Iran, Sadr condemned the fighting and gave his own followers one hour to disperse.

Heavy clashes in Baghdad killed at least 20 people, after Moqtada al-Sadr's announcement prompted his loyalists to storm a government palace and fight with rival groups.

Since 2003, Iraqi groups have engaged in sectarian conflict and, more recently, intra-sectarian, intra-ethnic political competition.

Since January, Iraq's 40 million people have been confronted with a fourth coronavirus wave but – unlike other countries – the government has not imposed any restrictions.

The legal age for marriage in Iraq is 18 but can be lowered to 15 in cases of parental or judicial consent.

This comes after Kadhimi appeared in a video footage published by his office on Sunday chairing a meeting with top security commanders to discuss the drone attack.

The attack, which security sources said injured several members of Mustafa al-Kadhimi's personal protection, came after protests in the Iraqi capital over the result of a general election last month turned violent.