Shafaq News – Baghdad

On Friday, Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Iraqi Patriotic Shiite Movement (Sadrist), firmly ruled out participating in Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for November 11.

“Let those who wish to boycott do so, and let those who crave power pursue it,” he stated, calling for “the dismantling of militias, the surrender of rogue weapons to the state, the strengthening of Iraq’s official security forces, the protection of national sovereignty, and an unyielding push for reform and accountability for the corrupt.”

The cleric’s reaffirmation comes amid mounting speculation over a political comeback, especially after his movement urged supporters to update their voter records. Yet al-Sadr—who in 2022 withdrew his bloc of 73 lawmakers from parliament and renounced politics to avoid legitimizing what he called a corrupt system—has repeatedly made clear he has no intention of reversing course.