Iraqi cleric al-Sadr demands closure of U.S. embassy over Israel ties
Source: Reuters
Iraqi cleric al-Sadr demands closure of U.S. embassy over Israel ties
Reuters
Fri, October 27, 2023 at 7:36 AM EDT·1 min read
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on the Iraqi government and lawmakers on Friday to close the U.S. embassy in Baghdad in response to Washington's "unfettered support" for Israel.
"If the government and parliament do not abide by this demand, we will go for further actions which we will later announce," the statement said.
The populist leader counts millions of Iraqis among his followers and has shown in the past he can stir up gatherings by hundreds of thousands of supporters, mostly working-class Shi'ite Muslims, if he wishes to exert political pressure.
Sadr has opposed Iranian influence in Iraq, setting him apart from other Shi'ite leaders who have close ties to Tehran. He has also opposed the U.S. and called for the departure of the last remaining U.S. troops in Iraq.
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Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/shiite-cleric-muqtada-al-sadr-113648513.html