The planned demonstration is expected to take place near the Al-Thawra Al-Ishreen bridges, following protests in Baghdad and Basra over the Iraqi government’s decision to suspend civilian flights with Iran under pressure from Washington.
The controversy has also drawn sharp criticism from Adnan Faihan, first deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament, who warned that complying with US Treasury Department pressure could carry serious economic consequences for Iraq.
Faihan said the decision could trigger reciprocal measures from Tehran and potentially affect Iraq’s economy, including its access to Iranian gas used to supply the country’s power plants.
“This decision is an obstacle to the economic progress and development of Iraq because it directly harms one of the important pillars of our national economy, namely religious tourism,” he said.
He added that Iranian aircraft transport hundreds of thousands of Iranian and Iraqi pilgrims between the two countries each month, particularly through Baghdad and Najaf airports.
Earlier, demonstrators gathered in Baghdad to protest the government’s compliance with Washington’s directives, while residents of Basra held spontaneous demonstrations condemning the Iraqi government’s recent measures against Iran.
With Najaf now preparing for a broader mobilization, the dispute over civilian air links with Iran has become another major point of contention in Iraq’s domestic political debate.