By Riyad Mansour

BAGHDAD – Several lawmakers of the newly elected Iraqi parliament are up in arms against the move of the Sunni Speaker Muhammad Al-Halbusi for blindly supporting the Iranian regime.

They objected to the recently elected speaker’s controversial statements pledging full support to Iran on behalf of lawmakers.

The speaker’s move to support Tehran has put him in the midst of a fire ball.

It is almost certain that more members of parliament will come out openly against the speaker’s move over the coming days.

Al-Halbusi was backed by the pro-Iranian bloc led by Hadi Al-Ameri. The bloc found in him the most suitable candidate, who is favoring the pro-Iranian Shiite forces.

The very first acts of Al-Halbusi quashed the hopes of many parties, lawmakers and politicians who thought that he will be an impartial figure who unifies the Sunni and Shiite political forces.

In the first statement made on Sunday, Al-Halbusi announced Baghdad’s rejection of the economic sanctions imposed against Iran.

During a telephone conversation with Ali Larijani, speaker of Iranian parliament, he reiterated that Iraq would always stand by Iran and its people.

Al-Halbusi also extended an invitation to Larijani to visit Iraq. He informed the Iranian leader that the Iraqi people and members of parliament value highly Iran’s open support to Iraq.

This gesture of Al-Halbusi has angered both Sunni and Shiite members of the Iraqi parliament. Some members expressed their outrage at the statement made by the new speaker that Iraqi parliament members are opposed to mounting any pressure and imposing of economic blockade against Iran, stating that these sanctions are unjust.