AhlulBayt News Agency: Iraq’s resistance group Kata’ib Hezbollah has strongly condemned US sanctions against Iran as a “dirty weapon” deployed after the failure of military options, calling for serious action to counter Washington’s economic siege of the Islamic Republic.
“Having failed to break the will of the Iranian people through military means, the United States has now turned to the weapon of food siege - a policy that represents a continuation of Washington’s inhumane policies throughout history,” the anti-terror group said in a statement on Thursday.
The group also strongly criticized companies and parties that cooperate with US sanctions against their own neighbors, slamming them for disregarding historical ties and ignoring the support they received in the past.
Kata’ib Hezbollah also called on the Iraqi people at large to help break the siege on Iran by supporting Iranian products and engaging in trade exchanges.
It asked senior Shia religious authorities to clarify the religious ruling on “helping the enemies in their efforts to besiege the Iranian people and impose starvation on them.”
Since August 2026, the US has intensified its economic pressure on Iran through the so-called Operation Economic Outcast, targeting Iranian oil revenues, financial channels, shipping, aviation and other sectors, while expanding the risk of secondary sanctions for foreign entities doing business with Iran.
The Iraqi government under Prime Minister Ali al-Zeidi has ordered the suspension of Iranian flights to Baghdad airport from midnight Wednesday after the US threatened secondary sanctions against airports and service providers handling Iranian carriers, with Baghdad discussing diverting Iranian Airways flights to Najaf.
This is while an informed source told Iran’s Tasnim news agency that Iraq’s Ministry of Transport was not responsible for the non-acceptance of Iranian aircraft, stressing that neither the Iraqi government nor the Civil Aviation Authority had so far issued any directive to halt Iranian flights.
Separately, Iran Air announced that its flights to Najaf Airport would continue.
The move follows US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s warning that Iranian airlines would be shut down through sanctions pressure, seven months into the US-Israeli war of aggression on Iran.
Earlier, Tasnim reported that Tehran-Baghdad and Tehran-Muscat flights had been canceled, while other international flights, including to Istanbul, would continue as scheduled.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization also said Iranian travelers were currently not being admitted at Oman’s airport.
Bessent said that when Iranian airlines land at an airport, “you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system.”
On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi Prime Minister Zeidi met on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session to discuss bilateral relations, the implementation of existing agreements and joint projects, and major regional and international developments.
The two sides stressed the need to accelerate agreements and projects, remove obstacles, and expand cooperation in trade, energy, transport, infrastructure and other areas, while reaffirming their shared commitment to deepening ties.
They also discussed the repercussions of recent US and Israeli military aggression against Iran and its impact on regional stability and security, calling for stronger regional cooperation and locally based security mechanisms.
They both stressed that reliance on foreign military forces and outside intervention have contributed to greater insecurity in the region.
Pezeshkian and al-Zeidi further stressed continued political and diplomatic consultations and close coordination on regional and international issues.
Separately, Pezeshkian said that he had also held good meetings with the prime minister of Armenia and the president of Switzerland, which had resulted in a good understanding on a number of issues.
The Iranian president also said that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was holding talks with the foreign ministers of various countries.
Pezeshkian said that the presence of the Iranian delegation here had been very effective both in holding talks and in defending the position and rights of the oppressed yet strong people of Iran.
“I hope that we will be able to fulfill this mission well going forward.”
....................
End/ 257
Your Comment