Two motorcyclists hurled an explosive device at the KFC on Palestine Street on May 26. Earlier on the day, Israel had bombed a tent camp housing displaced people in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, killing dozens and sparking widespread condemnation.

Analysts said that these American businesses have become targets mainly due to the perceived U.S. favoritism towards Israel in the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which has infuriated the Arab world, including Iraq.
The White House’s claim that Israeli operations and attacks in Rafah do not constitute a major ground operation that crosses any U.S. red lines appears to be the blasting fuse that ignited the latest wave of anti-American sentiment in Iraq.

Additionally, calls from the Iraqi government, militia groups, and the public for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq have grown louder.