Thousands of supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have called on the political and factional leaders on Friday to distance Iraq from the US-Iranian conflict.
Protesters supporting the Sadrist Movement in central Baghdad and Basra have voiced support for Iraq against probable involvement in a probable war between the US and Iran.
US President Donald Trump's administration announced sending extra forces to the Middle East to combat possible threats including Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.
Tensions have escalated recently between the US and Iran with increasing concerns about a potential US-Iran war. Earlier, the US pulled some diplomatic staff from its embassy in Baghdad following weekend attacks on four oil tankers in the Gulf, Reuters reported.
Iraqi MP Manar Abd al-Muttalib warned that Iraq can be harmed politically and economically in case a war breaks out between the United States and Iran.
Iraqi MP Aras Habib expected the US-Iranian crisis to continue to escalate for a while without a direct confrontation due to the danger it poses on their interests in the region and the world, adding that it would be difficult for Iraq to play the role of mediator between the two countries.