One protester was killed and 44 wounded when security forces fired tear gas and live rounds to disperse them from nearby Baghdad's Khilani Square, as clearance operations were underway, medical and security officials said.

Iraq has been roiled by protests since Oct. 1 in which demonstrators have taken to the streets to decry corruption, poor services and a lack of jobs. They have also called for an end to the political system imposed after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Video of protesters cheering in the night as flames billowed from the consulate were a stunning image after years in which Tehran's influence among Shi'ite Muslims in Arab states has been a defining factor in Middle East politics.

Sixteen people have died and over 100 wounded in the renewed clashes between protesters and Iraqi security forces.

At least 320 people have died in protests in Iraq, and thousands have been wounded since the unrest began on Oct. 1.

Mass protests erupted in Baghdad and across southern Iraq last month, calling for the overhaul of the political system established after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Nearly 1,800 people were injured nationally as demonstrators took to the streets to vent frustration at political elites they say have failed to improve their lives after years of conflict.