Al-Sadr calls on the Iraqi government to take security measures, slams 'colonial expansion' of Israel

Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the National Shiite Movement (the Sadrist) called on the Iraqi government to tighten security measures along the country’s borders in response to what he described as a dangerous escalation stemming from Israeli incursions into Syrian territory.

In a statement on X, al-Sadr condemned what he referred to as the “colonial and terrorist expansion” of Israel, backed by the US, warning that such actions threaten to drag the region into further turmoil. He described the silence of the international community as “suspicious.”

“The region is being pushed toward a conflict that benefits only the ominous trio,” he said, without specifying further. Al-Sadr emphasized the need for Iraq to safeguard its borders from all directions—west, east, north, and south—to prevent any spillover of regional instability.

Addressing the Iraqi populace, the influential cleric urged citizens to resist being drawn into sectarian strife, which he argued only serves the interests of external adversaries. Further, he called for unity and adherence to national responsibility, guided by the wisdom of religious authorities and rational leadership while rejecting “the whims of corrupt political agendas.”