Protests spread from Basra to Baghdad as political factions denounce the suspension of Iranian flights. Resistance groups threaten sit-ins at airports nationwide, while reports that Washington has not released Iraqi funds have intensified anger over Baghdad’s decision.

BAGHDAD -- Iraq’s decision to halt Iranian airline operations following U.S. sanctions has triggered a political firestorm inside the country, with resistance factions, parliamentary blocs, and religious figures accusing Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s government of capitulating to American dictates and betraying the deep-seated fraternal ties between Baghdad and Tehran.

The crisis began after the U.S. Treasury Department on Sept. 8 sanctioned 27 Iranian airlines and warned that airports, fuel suppliers, and ground-handling firms dealing with sanctioned carriers would face secondary sanctions.

Iraqi ground-handling companies stopped servicing Iranian flights, prompting airlines to suspend operations. Najaf International Airport — the last Iraqi airport still operating flights to Iran and a key hub for Shia pilgrimage traffic — halted all services at 2 a.m. Friday until further notice. Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Kirkuk airports took similar measures.

Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba Secretary-General Akram al-Kaabi denounced the government’s decision and threatened airport sit-ins nationwide unless normal air traffic resumes.

“We will not wait long,” he said in a statement, urging Iraqi political forces to “break free from American dominance”. He said Washington is using the restrictions to prevent millions from visiting religious sites and harm Iraq’s economy.

Kata’ib Hezbollah called on Iraqis to “circumvent the embargo through all available means,” including purchasing Iranian commodities and facilitating trade, and asked Shia religious authorities to issue a fatwa on whether it is religiously permissible “to help the enemy, in any form, besiege and starve the Iranian people”.

Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada Secretary-General Abu Ala al-Walai said: “It is not fitting for the Iraq of Imam Hussein (AS) to be part of an unjust siege on Iran, the land of knowledge and jihad, the land of seminaries, the visitors of Arbaeen.”

He urged parliament to issue a resolution obliging the government not to submit to “the evil will of America”.

Vice Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Adnan Fayhan al-Dulaimi condemned the sanctions as “unconsidered and unconstitutional,” warning that at least one-third of Iraq’s power generation plants would cease operation if Iran retaliates by stopping natural gas supplies.

“Iraq’s national electricity grid would collapse under such a scenario,” he said, adding that 30% to 40% of operating power plants would shut down, paralyzing hospitals, water treatment facilities, and public service centers.

Dulaimi noted that Article 8 of the Iraqi Constitution stipulates good-neighborliness, non-interference, and peaceful dispute resolution, arguing the decision violates these principles and harms religious tourism that depends on Iranian pilgrims.

Badr Organization leader Hadi al-Amiri condemned “the unjust blockade imposed by the United States on Iran, particularly the recent ban on flights,” urging the government not to yield and calling the matter “a litmus test for realizing the country’s full and comprehensive sovereignty”.

The Badr parliamentary bloc had earlier warned that compliance would constitute “a violation of national sovereignty and a critical red line” targeting pilgrims and Iraq’s domestic economy.

Street Protests and Public Anger

Popular protests erupted in Basra and Baghdad on Saturday, with demonstrators rejecting the flight restrictions and condemning government decisions aligned with U.S. pressure. Chants included “No, no to the siege!” and “If you can’t reach Mosul, let them fight us!”

Basra parliament members announced they had begun collecting signatures to summon the prime minister, transport minister, and civil aviation authority chief for an emergency session, giving the government 48 hours to clarify its position.

Ali Akbar Velayati, international affairs adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, addressed Prime Minister al-Zaidi directly: “Mr. al-Zaidi, legitimacy does not come from Washington; it comes from the soil of Najaf and the blood of the martyrs.”

He called the airport closure an attempt to dismantle the “Unity of Fronts” and declared: “From Sana’a to Najaf, the Resistance front is one.”

Muhammad Mokhber, an Iranian adviser to the Leader, warned: “Flights in the region are either free for everyone, or for no one.” He stressed that cooperation with the U.S. in implementing hostile policies would remain in the memory of the Iranian people.

The Iraqi Prime Minister’s media office said Saturday that Baghdad is in “direct dialogue with the U.S. side to exempt specific Iraqi airports from these measures,” aiming to resume flights for medical treatment, education, religious pilgrimages, and civilian interests.

Iraq’s Ambassador to Tehran Yasser al-Hajjaj said the suspension is “transient and temporary” and would not harm the deep historical ties between the two nations, adding that Baghdad continues intensive consultations to restore normal flights .

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Al Arabiya that Baghdad would discuss the sanctions with Washington to explore providing services to Iranian airlines.

Reports emerged on Saturday that despite Iraq’s compliance with the U.S. flight ban, Washington has not released Iraqi funds held in American accounts — a mechanism used monthly to transfer cash dollars to Baghdad.

The U.S. has used the leverage repeatedly to advance its objectives in Iraq, and the delay has directly contributed to rising exchange rates in the country.

Al-Zaidi, during his New York visit and meeting with Trump, reportedly appealed to U.S. special envoy Tom Barrack, who sent a request to Washington — but Iraq has still not received its funds.

Najaf International Airport, which previously handled 19 to 22 daily flights to Iran, now stands nearly empty and faces bankruptcy after a 90% drop in activity. The airport was known as the “capital of religious tourism,” and its closure has stranded patients, students, and pilgrims.

The crisis has exposed the impossible position of a government caught between American financial leverage and the deep religious, cultural, and economic bonds that bind Iraq to its neighbor — bonds that no sanction can sever.