Shafaq News- Najaf
Iraq’s Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM/formerly Sadrist) leader Muqtada Al-Sadr urged the United States on Wednesday to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and pursue relations based on fairness and mutual respect, moving beyond decades of conflict.
Recalling his movement’s armed resistance to the “US occupation of Iraq,” Al-Sadr said national independence must take precedence over foreign ties. “We resisted you just as we resisted anyone who occupied our country,” he wrote, rejecting portrayals of his movement as “terrorist” or of the United States as akin to ISIS. “If you want to turn the page, let us do so with justice and fairness, without arrogance or condescension.”
https://t.co/Jliq123IHG
— مقتدى السيد محمد الصدر (@Mu_AlSadr) October 7, 2026
Al-Sadr called for balanced foreign relations, free from interference or dependence on Eastern or Western powers, and opposed drawing Iraq into international political and economic disputes, arguing that Baghdad has no obligation to defend other countries or fight on their behalf.
Read more: Coalition mission ends, factions keep their weapons
He also criticized what he portrayed as US favoritism toward its “spoiled daughter,” an apparent reference to Israel, and urged major powers to promote peace rather than fuel regional conflicts. He expressed hope that the American people would have a government committed to peace, while reaffirming Iraq’s willingness to maintain peaceful ties with its neighbors based on national interests. “We will not be subordinate to you or anyone else.”
Al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army fought US troops following the 2003 invasion, while the Promised Day Brigade (Liwa’a al-Yawm al-Maw'oud), established after the group’s disbandment in 2008, continued operations against Global Coalition forces.
On Sept. 30, 2026, Al-Sadr dissolved the Promised Day Brigade after the Coalition formally ended its military mission in Iraq. In May, he placed Saraya Al-Salam, the movement’s main armed wing, under state authority and urged other factions to join the country’s official security institutions.
Read more: US withdrawal opens new phase in Iraq’s political landscape