Shafaq News – Najaf

Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM), denied allegations of a plot to assassinate him during a visit to Najaf, accusing political rivals of spreading fear ahead of Iraq’s November elections.

The claim originated from opposition activist Ali Fadel, who alleged on social media that MP Yasser Al-Maliki of the State of Law Coalition planned to target al-Sadr with a drone strike near his father’s shrine. The report triggered overnight mobilization in Basra, where Saraya al-Salam, al-Sadr’s armed faction, deployed fighters in anticipation of possible threats.

Al-Sadr appeared publicly at the shrine on Monday, surrounded by aides and supporters. He dismissed the claims on X, saying they reflected the anxieties of “those who doubt their own results.” He warned that rivals seeking to undermine stability through such rumors risked provoking unrest in the days leading up to the vote.

In his remarks, al-Sadr accused “power-hungry elites” of putting personal gain above Iraq’s democracy and insisted that his movement would not be deterred by threats. He added that “the people have grown more aware and will not reward failed politicians.”

The cleric also broadened his criticism to government failures, pointing to drought, pollution, electricity shortages, weak education, a deteriorating health sector, and the proliferation of armed factions. He argued that the true threats to Iraq were terrorism, extremism, normalization, and sectarianism, rather than the return of Baathist influence.

Meanwhile, Al-Maliki rejected the assassination allegations as “fabrications aimed at inciting strife,” and vowed legal action against those spreading them.