Thousands of supporters of an Iraqi populist Shiite cleric held sit-ins around Iraq saying their country should not be a battlefield between the United States and Iran.

The sit-ins Friday come days after a rocket slammed into Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, landing less than a mile from the sprawling U.S. Embassy. No injuries were reported and no group claimed responsibility.

Last week, the U.S. ordered the evacuation of nonessential diplomatic staff from Iraq amid unspecified threats from Iran.

In Baghdad, more than 3,000 people gathered Friday night in central Tahrir Square chanting "no to war" and "yes to peace."

The demonstrators are supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, who recently said that any political party that would drag Iraq into a U.S.-Iran war "would be the enemy of the Iraqi people."