In a dramatic escalation of tensions, hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq's capital, protesting against a reported plan to burn another Quran in Stockholm, Sweden. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning, and online videos showed protesters scaling the walls of the embassy compound and setting it ablaze while chanting "Yes, yes to the Quran."

The protests were triggered weeks after a highly controversial incident involving Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker living in Sweden, who tore up and set pages of the Quran on fire during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha in June. His actions drew widespread condemnation from numerous countries, and influential Shi'ite cleric Muqtada Sadr in Iraq called for protests against Sweden and the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador.

Following the Quran burning in Sweden, two major protests took place outside the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, with protesters managing to breach the embassy grounds on one occasion, raising tensions between the two nations.

Adding to the outrage, on Wednesday, the Swedish police approved an application for a "public meeting" to be held outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm on Thursday. While the police did not reveal the intentions of the protesters, Swedish media reports indicated that Salwan Momika and another individual planned to burn the Quran and the Iraqi flag during the gathering.

In response to the latest protest at the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, the Swedish foreign ministry issued a statement reassuring that all embassy staff were safe while strongly condemning the attack. The Swedish government faced immense pressure from international leaders, religious authorities, and various organizations to reconsider their approach and prioritize religious sensitivities and social cohesion over the right to freedom of expression.

Iraq's foreign ministry also expressed its disapproval of the attack on the Swedish embassy, promising to bring the perpetrators to justice. The situation remains tense, and both nations will be closely monitoring developments to prevent further escalation of hostilities.

As the international community watches these events unfold, calls for dialogue, understanding, and respect for religious beliefs have grown louder, emphasizing the importance of finding peaceful resolutions to such sensitive issues. Both Sweden and Iraq face significant challenges in navigating the delicate balance between freedom of expression and protecting religious sentiments in the aftermath of these protests.