Iran is said to have stepped in to prevent Iraqi Prime Minister Abdel Abdul Mahdi from being pushed out of office by two of Iraq’s most influential figures amid weeks of anti-government demonstrations.

Sources close to both men outlined their view of the situation to Reuters on October 31.

Populist Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr this week demanded that PM Abdul Mahdi call an early election to quell the biggest mass protests seen in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003. Anger over corruption and widespread economic hardship is said to be driving the protests.

Sadr had lobbied his main political rival Hadi al-Amiri, whose alliance of Iran-backed militias is the second-biggest political force in parliament, to help push out Abdul Mahdi.

But in a secret meeting in Baghdad on October 30, Qassem Soleimani, head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ elite Quds Force that handles the Guards’ operations abroad, is said to have intervened. Soleimani asked Amiri and his militia leaders to keep backing Abdul Mahdi, according to five sources with knowledge of the meeting cited by Reuters.

An Iranian security official reportedly confirmed Soleimani was at the secret meeting, saying he was there to “give advice”.

“[Iraq’s] security is important for us and we have helped them in the past. The head of our Quds Force travels to Iraq and other regional countries regularly, particularly when our allies ask for our help,” the anonymous Iranian official was quoted as saying.

The Quds force coordinates Tehran-backed militias in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Soleimani’s direct intervention might be seen as the latest sign of Iran’s growing influence in Iraq and across the region.

Iraqi security officials told the news agency earlier in October that Iran-backed militias deployed snipers on Baghdad rooftops to try to help put down the protests. If Iraq descends further into crisis, Iran might face the prospect of losing the influence it has steadily accrued in its neighbour since the US-led invasion. That would be a blow to Tehran as it sees the influence as a counter-weight to American influence in the region.

The protests have broken nearly two years of relative stability in Iraq. They have spread from Baghdad across the mainly Shi’ite south. The security crackdown in response has so far killed over 250 people.

It appears that various militia leaders in Iraq do not want to see an ousting of Abdul Mahdi that could weaken the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella group for mostly Shi’ite paramilitary groups backed by Iran who are influential in Iraq’s parliament and have allies in government. They formally report to the prime minister but have their own command structure outside the military.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs this week warned Iranians not to travel to Iraq amid the anti-government protests.

In a new travel advisory issued late on October 29, it urged Iranian travellers and pilgrims to put off travelling to the neighbouring country, with some protesters singling out Iran as to blame for their situation. Earlier this week, videos emerged of Iraqi protesters burning the Iranian flag.

Separately, also on October 31, US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV that Iran has spent $16bn on its “militias” in Iraq and Syria.

He did not give more details on the militias or say when Iran had spent the money.