TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has condemned the burning of its consulate in southern Iraq by anti-government protesters hours earlier.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency said Thursday that Abbas Mousavi, a foreign ministry spokesman, called for a “responsible, strong and effective” response from Iraq’s government.

An Iraqi police official had said protesters set fire to the Iranian consulate in the holy city of Najaf late Wednesday. Iranian staff were not harmed, escaping out the back door.

The police official said one protester was killed and 35 wounded when police fired live ammunition to prevent them from entering the building. Demonstrators removed the Iranian flag and replaced it with an Iraqi one.

Anti-government protests have gripped Iraq for nearly two months. They accuse Iraq’s Shiite-led government of being hopelessly corrupt, and decry growing Iranian influence.