ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A senior official from Iraq’s ruling Shiite-led Coordination Framework stated that preparations are underway to hold mass pro-Iran demonstrations across the country as the Israel-Iran conflict intensifies. Ali al-Daffayi further urged Baghdad to acquire advanced air defense systems to prevent Israel from using Iraqi airspace to strike Iran.
The Coordination Framework is an Iran-backed umbrella organization that brings together most of Iraq's Shiite political factions.
Daffayi, who is the spokesperson for the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) - a party within the Iran-aligned Coordination Framework - said the bloc was “preparing to hold mass popular demonstrations” so that “the Iraqi people’s voice echoes in solidarity with the Islamic Republic of [Iran].”
He added that protests have already taken place in the Iraqi capital, specifically at the doorstep of Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, home to government headquarters and diplomatic missions - most notably the United States embassy.
Echoing Tehran’s stance, Daffayi accused Israel of wanting to “drag the entire region into total mayhem,” adding, “We have to take a decisive stance… We [the Coordination Framework parties] are united in condemning the [Israeli] aggression, in backing the Islamic Republic [of Iran] and its right to defend itself,” he said.
On Friday, Iraq submitted a complaint against Israel to the United Nations Security Council, accusing it of violating Iraqi airspace to carry out attacks on Iran.
The state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported that Baghdad views these actions as “a flagrant violation” of its sovereignty and “a transgression of the provisions of international law and the United Nations Charter.”
Baghdad urged the UNSC to assume “its legal and moral responsibilities and use its powers to deter the Zionist entity and prevent it from repeating such violations,” INA reported.
Daffayi also urged Baghdad to push for acquiring air defense systems, adding that if the US is not willing to provide them, “we must seek them from other countries.”
“Iraq needs a sophisticated and advanced aerial defense system,” Daffayi said, emphasizing that Iraq should be able to prevent Israeli strikes passing through its airspace en route to Iran.
Israel on Friday launched a massive aerial assault on Iran, killing several top military commanders and nuclear scientists. In retaliation, Iran has fired waves of missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory, hitting vital targets across Israeli territories.
According to Israeli authorities, at least 24 civilians have been killed and 592 injured. In Iran, authorities reported 224 people killed and 1,277 injured.
Since Friday, Baghdad has witnessed several pro-Iran demonstrations, primarily attended by supporters of Iraqi armed groups aligned with Tehran.
Concerns are mounting that these pro-Iran Iraqi factions - or groups within the broader Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance’ - could enter the Israel-Iran conflict, particularly by targeting American assets, given the United States' close alliance with Israel.
While no such group has so far signaled intent to act, the powerful Kata’ib Hezbollah Iraqi armed group stated on Sunday that it is closely monitoring the movements of US forces, warning that any American intervention in the conflict would prompt it to directly target US interests and military bases across the region.
The situation presents serious risks for Iraq, especially since retaliatory attacks on US assets launched from Iraqi territory could provoke counterstrikes.
In a phone call with Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Monday, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned of “the danger of any attacks on American or British forces deployed in the region, regardless of the perpetrator,” according to a statement from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
“The United Kingdom believes that diplomatic solutions are the only way to avoid further escalation,” Lammy said, stressing “the necessity of Iraq’s sidelining itself from any attacks or conflicts” in the region.
