Iraqi protesters have flooded the streets in the southern port city of Basra to denounce the “unjust” aerial blockade against Iran.

The head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq has appealed to all Iraqis to assume their religious responsibilities toward breaking the “unjust and inhumane” US aerial blockade on Iran.

The vice speaker of the Iraqi Parliament says bans on Iranian flights disrupt Iraq’s economic recovery, and seriously affect its key business sector.

Iraqi officials are engaged in direct negotiations with the United States to obtain exemptions applicable to Iraqi airport facilities, thereby enabling the resumption of flight operations to and from Iran.

The Secretary-General of the Iraqi Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada resistance group has urged the government and parliament to reject the “unjust siege” on Iran and not to submit to the “evil will” of the United States.

The Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba resistance group has vowed to organize sit-ins at Iraqi airports nationwide in protest against Iran’s aerial blockade.

Turkey has agreed to gradually withdraw its troops from a strategic military base near Mosul in northern Iraq and hand over its control to the Baghdad government.