At a Glance

• Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Secretary-General Qais al-Khazali rejects Iraq’s participation in measures blockading Iran by land, sea and air.
• Khazali criticizes what he describes as Iraq standing by or participating in the blockade.
• He calls on the Iraqi government, parliament and political forces to adopt a unified position based on sovereignty and humanitarian principles.
• His remarks come as restrictions on Iranian air links and wider economic pressure on Iran intensify.

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Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Secretary-General Qais al-Khazali has rejected Iraq’s participation in what he described as an unjust blockade of Iran by land, sea and air, calling on Baghdad to adopt a unified position based on sovereignty and humanitarian principles.

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Key Statements

“We categorically reject seeing the Islamic Republic besieged by land, sea and air while Iraq stands watching or participates in this unjust and oppressive blockade.”

— Qais al-Khazali

“It is neither sensible nor acceptable for Iraq’s position to differ from its stance toward Turkey and Afghanistan in refusing to respond to the blockade of peoples.”

— Qais al-Khazali

“We urge our people, political forces, parliament and government to take a united stance based on sovereign and humanitarian principles.”

— Qais al-Khazali

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Khazali’s Position On Iraq And Iran

• Opposition to blockade: Khazali says Iraq should reject participation in measures restricting Iran by land, sea and air.
• Call for a unified stance: He urges the Iraqi government, parliament and political forces to adopt a common position.
• Sovereignty: Khazali frames his appeal around Iraq making its own decisions without what he describes as intimidation.
• Regional comparison: He points to Turkey and Afghanistan as countries whose positions, according to him, have rejected participation in the blockade.
• Iraq-Iran ties: He cites longstanding social, cultural and religious connections between the two populations.
• Current context: Iranian aviation links with Iraq have faced growing restrictions amid wider U.S. pressure on Iranian airlines and transport networks.

FYI

Khazali’s remarks come amid expanding international pressure on Iran, including restrictions affecting Iranian airlines and transportation routes. Iraq has been directly affected by these measures, with Iranian flights to several Iraqi destinations facing suspensions or restrictions.

His statement represents the position of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and calls for a different Iraqi policy response; it should not be treated as an official statement of the Iraqi government. The debate also comes as Iran seeks diplomatic avenues to ease the wider blockade, while U.S. pressure remains focused on restricting Iranian economic and logistical networks.

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