Iraqi resistance group vows to stage airport sit-ins over Iran aerial blockade

An Iraqi anti-terror resistance group, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, said it would organize sit-ins at Iraqi airports nationwide to pressure Baghdad to resume normal air traffic with Iran. The vow came after the Baghdad government halted Iranian airline operations following US sanctions targeting Iran’s aviation sector. Akram al-Kaabi, secretary-general of the group, said the restrictions were preventing “millions” from visiting religious sites and harming Iraq’s economy. Services to Iran were suspended after ground-handling firms stopped operating routes due to potential secondary sanctions, including at Najaf International Airport, which paused flights at 2 a.m. local time Friday. Similar steps were taken at Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Kirkuk.