TEHRAN – Large numbers of people held protests in the shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala to express their strong opposition to the Iraqi government’s decision to suspend direct flights between Iran and Iraq at the Trump administration’s order.
In Najaf, protesters gathered outside the international airport to urge the government not to bow to U.S. demands. The demonstrations in Najaf were held following a call by the head of the executive council of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba.
The protesters in Najaf carried Iranian flags and portraits of martyred Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, who played a key role in Iraq’s struggle against Daesh terrorists.
Protesters in Karbala said the U.S. demand that the Iraqi government suspend flights with Iran violated their country’s sovereignty.
Citizens in Nassiriya, the capital of Dhi Qar Governorate, about 360 kilometers south-southeast of Baghdad, also held a similar rally, strongly denouncing the government’s decision.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Iranian pilgrims visit Najaf and Karbala, where the tombs of Imam Ali (AS) and Imam Hussein (AS) are located. Similarly, large numbers of Iraqis visit the shrine cities of Qom and Mashhad in Iran. A considerable number of Iraqi citizens also travel to Iran for medical treatment.
Fearing a public backlash, the Iraqi government is reportedly in talks with the Trump administration to persuade it to drop its demands that Iraq suspend flights with Iran.
The flight ban against Iran is part of a new move by the Trump administration against the Islamic Republic, which suffered a humiliating defeat at Iran’s hands after the United States and Israel launched a war of aggression against the country in late February 2026.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: tehrantimes.com
