PNN – Following Baghdad’s compliance with US anti-Iran embargo, Iraqi political factions have explicitly held Al-Zaidi’s government responsible for the situation.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; the Iraqi Prime Minister’s media office claims the government is engaged in direct talks with the US side to exempt certain Iraqi airports from US Treasury Department restrictions affecting flights by Iranian airlines to airports in the region.
Unprecedented Attack by the Secretary-General of the Al-Nujaba Movement on the Iraqi Government
Meanwhile, Akram al-Kaabi, Secretary-General of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Al-Nujaba,” emphasized that the Iraqi government has adopted a double standard; the suspension of flights to and from Iran is taking place at a time when the Americans control Iraq as if it were a small village. He added that this situation is unacceptable.
Al-Kaabi stated that political forces and factions across all sectors must re-evaluate their positions. He went on to ask how one could acquiesce to the blockade of a Muslim nation, prevent millions of citizens from both countries from visiting holy sites, and simultaneously inflict economic and spiritual harm upon Iraq.
He added that if this issue is not resolved, US hegemony does not end, and normal flights involving the Islamic Republic do not resume, he and the Al-Nujaba Movement will call upon the Iraqi people—as well as the Mawkibs and Mudhifs that serve pilgrims visiting Imam Hussein (AS) and Imam Reza (AS)—to prepare for a sit-in at Iraqi airports, thereby forcing the cancellation of this malicious US decision.
Kata’ib Hezbollah’s Stance Criticizing the Al-Zaidi Government’s New Decision
Meanwhile, Kata’ib Hezbollah—one of the Iraqi resistance groups—has called upon the Iraqi people to resist this blockade by any means possible and to support the Iranian people by backing Iranian products, encouraging the exchange of Iranian goods, and refraining from any actions that would exacerbate the suffering of the oppressed.
Najaf Airport on the Brink of Bankruptcy
The continued suspension of flights between Iran and Iraq comes as Najaf International Airport faces the threat of bankruptcy following a 90% halt in its flight operations.
This comes as Najaf International Airport announced early Friday, September 25, that all flights to and from Iran have been suspended until further notice.
The airport previously handled between 19 and 22 daily flights to Iran; on some days, as many as 20 of its 22 scheduled flights were dedicated to various Iranian cities.
With the suspension of flights in Najaf, air travel between Iraq and Iran has come to a near-total halt, transforming an airport once known as a hub for religious tourism into a facility devoid of passengers.
Critical Stances of Iraqi Political and Parliamentary Factions
Certain political blocs and members of the Iraqi parliament have emphasized that closing Iraqi airports to Iranian flights disrupts the interests of travelers, students, patients, and businesspeople, and negatively impacts the Iraqi economy.
These figures added that Iraqis are unwilling to foot the bill for “unjust sanctions” imposed by the enemies of nations.
Furthermore, some politicians emphasized that Iraq’s compliance with externally issued directives banning air travel with Iran inflicts heavy financial losses on the country’s government and deprives thousands of patients of ongoing medical treatment and students of their education. They added that this decision lacks United Nations endorsement, noting that adherence to international rules and norms must be grounded in international law rather than the “law of the jungle.”