Clash in northern Iran between Iraqi tourists and Iranian civilians leaves several injured

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A violent clash broke out on Sunday in Ramsar, a resort city on the Caspian coast in northern Iran, between seven Iraqi tourists and roughly 30 Iranian civilians, witnesses said. The altercation began inside a restaurant after Iranian patrons asked the Iraqi visitors to move, telling them the seating area was reserved for Iranians, and escalated from a verbal dispute into a physical fight that spilled outside. Several Iraqi tourists were injured in the brawl, with some of the wounds reported as serious. Witnesses said they had asked the Iraqi Embassy in Tehran to intervene urgently, check on the injured visitors and follow up on their medical care and safety. Ramsar, a well-known vacation destination on the Caspian Sea, regularly draws foreign tourists. The Turkish-language source did not specify whether any diplomatic steps have been initiated following the incident. No official statement on the condition or whereabouts of the Iraqi tourists had been released as of Sunday.