diff --git a/heir_py/loop.py b/heir_py/loop.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3910c9050
--- /dev/null
+++ b/heir_py/loop.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+"""Example of HEIR Python usage."""
+
+from heir_py import pipeline
+
+
+def foo(a):
+  """An example function with a static loop."""
+  result = 2
+  for i in range(3):
+    result = a + result
+  return result
+
+
+# to replace with decorator
+_heir_foo = pipeline.run_compiler(foo).module
+
+cc = _heir_foo.foo__generate_crypto_context()
+kp = cc.KeyGen()
+_heir_foo.foo__configure_crypto_context(cc, kp.secretKey)
+arg0_enc = _heir_foo.foo__encrypt__arg0(cc, 2, kp.publicKey)
+res_enc = _heir_foo.foo(cc, arg0_enc)
+res = _heir_foo.foo__decrypt__result0(cc, res_enc, kp.secretKey)
+
+print(res)  # should be 8
diff --git a/heir_py/mlir_emitter.py b/heir_py/mlir_emitter.py
index 03324e96e..dec2ade50 100644
--- a/heir_py/mlir_emitter.py
+++ b/heir_py/mlir_emitter.py
@@ -2,10 +2,98 @@
 
 import operator
 import textwrap
+from dataclasses import dataclass
 
 from numba.core import ir
 
 
+def get_constant(var, ssa_ir):
+  # Get constant value defining this var, else raise error
+  assert var.name in ssa_ir._definitions
+  vardef = ssa_ir._definitions[var.name][0]
+  if type(vardef) != ir.Const:
+    raise ValueError("expected constant variable")
+  return vardef.value
+
+
+class HeaderInfo:
+
+  def __init__(self, header_block):
+    body = header_block.body
+    assert len(body) == 5
+    self.phi_var = body[3].target
+    self.body_id = body[4].truebr
+    self.next_id = body[4].falsebr
+
+
+class RangeArgs:
+
+  def __init__(self, range_call, ssa_ir):
+    args = range_call.value.args
+    self.stop = get_constant(args[0], ssa_ir)
+    self.start = 0
+    self.step = 1
+    if len(args) > 1:
+      self.stop = get_constant(args[1], ssa_ir)
+    if len(args) > 2:
+      self.step = get_constant(args[2], ssa_ir)
+
+
+@dataclass
+class Loop:
+  header_id: int
+  header: HeaderInfo
+  range: RangeArgs
+  inits: list[str]
+
+
+def build_loop_from_call(index, body, blocks, ssa_ir):
+  # Build a loop from a range call starting at index
+  assert type(body[index + 1] == ir.Assign)
+  assert type(body[index + 2] == ir.Assign)
+  assert type(body[index + 3] == ir.Jump)
+
+  header_id = body[index + 3].target
+  header = HeaderInfo(blocks[header_id])
+  range_args = RangeArgs(body[index], ssa_ir)
+
+  # Loop body must start with assigning the local iter var
+  loop_body = blocks[header.body_id].body
+  assert loop_body[0].value == header.phi_var
+
+  inits = []
+  for instr in loop_body[1:]:
+    if type(instr) == ir.Assign and not instr.target.is_temp:
+      inits.append(instr.target)
+  if len(inits) > 1:
+    raise NotImplementedError("Multiple iter_args not supported")
+
+  return Loop(
+      header_id,
+      header,
+      range_args,
+      inits,
+  )
+
+
+def is_range_call(instr, ssa_ir):
+  # Returns true if the IR instruction is a call to a range
+  if type(instr) != ir.Assign or type(instr.value) != ir.Expr:
+    return False
+  if instr.value.op != "call":
+    return False
+  func = instr.value.func
+
+  assert func.name in ssa_ir._definitions
+  func_def_list = ssa_ir._definitions[func.name]
+  assert len(func_def_list) == 1
+  func_def = func_def_list[0]
+
+  if type(func_def) != ir.Global:
+    return False
+  return func_def.name == "range"
+
+
 class TextualMlirEmitter:
 
   def __init__(self, ssa_ir):
@@ -13,6 +101,9 @@ def __init__(self, ssa_ir):
     self.temp_var_id = 0
     self.numba_names_to_ssa_var_names = {}
     self.globals_map = {}
+    self.loops = {}
+    self.printed_blocks = {}
+    self.omit_block_header = {}
 
   def emit(self):
     func_name = self.ssa_ir.func_id.func_name
@@ -25,7 +116,7 @@ def emit(self):
     # TODO(#1162): get inferred or explicit return types
     return_types_str = "i64"
 
-    body = self.emit_body()
+    body = self.emit_blocks()
 
     mlir_func = f"""func.func @{func_name}({args_str}) -> ({return_types_str}) {{
 {textwrap.indent(body, '  ')}
@@ -33,30 +124,52 @@ def emit(self):
 """
     return mlir_func
 
-  def emit_body(self):
+  def emit_blocks(self):
     blocks = self.ssa_ir.blocks
-    str_blocks = []
-    first = True
 
+    # collect loops and block header needs
+    self.omit_block_header[sorted(blocks.items())[0][0]] = True
     for block_id, block in sorted(blocks.items()):
-      instructions = []
-      for instr in block.body:
-        result = self.emit_instruction(instr)
-        if result:
-          instructions.append(result)
+      for i in range(len(block.body)):
+        # Detect a range call
+        instr = block.body[i]
+        if is_range_call(instr, self.ssa_ir):
+          loop = build_loop_from_call(i, block.body, blocks, self.ssa_ir)
+          self.loops[instr.target] = loop
+          self.omit_block_header[loop.header.next_id] = True
 
-      if first:
-        first = False
+    # print blocks
+    str_blocks = []
+    for block_id, block in sorted(blocks.items()):
+      if block_id in self.printed_blocks:
+        continue
+      if block_id in self.omit_block_header:
         block_header = ""
       else:
         block_header = f"^bb{block_id}:\n"
-
       str_blocks.append(
-          block_header + textwrap.indent("\n".join(instructions), "  ")
+          block_header + textwrap.indent(self.emit_block(block), "  ")
       )
+      self.printed_blocks[block_id] = True
 
     return "\n".join(str_blocks)
 
+  def emit_block(self, block):
+    instructions = []
+    for i in range(len(block.body)):
+      instr = block.body[i]
+      if type(instr) == ir.Assign and instr.target in self.loops:
+        # We hit a range call for a loop
+        result = self.emit_loop(instr.target)
+        instructions.append(result)
+        # Exit instructions, should be the end of the block
+        break
+      else:
+        result = self.emit_instruction(instr)
+      if result:
+        instructions.append(result)
+    return "\n".join(instructions)
+
   def emit_instruction(self, instr):
     match instr:
       case ir.Assign():
@@ -65,6 +178,10 @@ def emit_instruction(self, instr):
         return self.emit_branch(instr)
       case ir.Return():
         return self.emit_return(instr)
+      case ir.Jump():
+        # TODO ignore
+        assert instr.is_terminator
+        return
     raise NotImplementedError("Unsupported instruction: " + str(instr))
 
   def get_or_create_name(self, var):
@@ -125,6 +242,10 @@ def emit_assign(self, assign):
       case ir.Global():
         self.globals_map[assign.target.name] = assign.value.name
         return ""
+      case ir.Var():
+        # FIXME: keep track of loop var, and assign
+        self.forward_name(from_var=assign.target, to_var=assign.value)
+        return ""
     raise NotImplementedError()
 
   def emit_expr(self, expr):
@@ -134,16 +255,16 @@ def emit_expr(self, expr):
       raise NotImplementedError()
     elif expr.op == "unary":
       raise NotImplementedError()
-
-    # these are all things numba has hooks for upstream, but we didn't implement
-    # in the prototype
-
     elif expr.op == "pair_first":
       raise NotImplementedError()
     elif expr.op == "pair_second":
       raise NotImplementedError()
     elif expr.op in ("getiter", "iternext"):
       raise NotImplementedError()
+
+    # these are all things numba has hooks for upstream, but we didn't implement
+    # in the prototype
+
     elif expr.op == "exhaust_iter":
       raise NotImplementedError()
     elif expr.op == "getattr":
@@ -191,6 +312,49 @@ def emit_branch(self, branch):
     condvar = self.get_name(branch.cond)
     return f"cf.cond_br {condvar}, ^bb{branch.truebr}, ^bb{branch.falsebr}"
 
+  def emit_loop(self, target):
+    # Note right now loops that use the %i value directly will need an index_cast to an i64 element.
+    loop = self.loops[target]
+    resultvar = self.get_or_create_name(target)
+    itvar = self.get_or_create_name(loop.header.phi_var)  # create var for i
+    for_str = (
+        f"affine.for {itvar} = {loop.range.start} to {loop.range.stop} step"
+        f" {loop.range.step}"
+    )
+
+    if len(loop.inits) == 1:
+      # Note: we must generalize to inits > 1
+      init_val = self.get_name(loop.inits[0])
+      # Within the loop, forward the name for the init val to a new temp var
+      iter_arg = "itarg"
+      self.numba_names_to_ssa_var_names[loop.inits[0].name] = iter_arg
+      for_str = (
+          f"{resultvar} = {for_str} iter_args(%{iter_arg} = {init_val}) ->"
+          " (i64)"
+      )
+    self.printed_blocks[loop.header_id] = True
+
+    # TODO(#1412): support nested loops.
+    loop_block = self.ssa_ir.blocks[loop.header.body_id]
+    for instr in loop_block.body:
+      if type(instr) == ir.Assign and instr.target in self.loops:
+        raise NotImplementedError("Nested loops are not supported")
+
+    body_str = self.emit_block(loop_block)
+    if len(loop.inits) == 1:
+      # Yield the iter arg
+      yield_var = self.get_name(loop.inits[0])
+      yield_str = f"affine.yield {yield_var} : i64"
+      body_str += "\n" + yield_str
+
+    # After we emit the body, we need to update the printed block map and replace all uses of the iterarg after the block with the result of the for loop.
+    if loop.inits:
+      self.forward_name(loop.inits[0], target)
+    self.printed_blocks[loop.header.body_id] = True
+
+    result = for_str + " {\n" + textwrap.indent(body_str, "  ") + "\n}"
+    return result
+
   def emit_return(self, ret):
     var = self.get_name(ret.value)
     # TODO(#1162): replace i64 with inferred or explicit return type