Iraq’s Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr has called for “non-interference in Syria” and urged the Baghdad government to “punish anyone threatening security.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Sadr said he was “closely watching the situation in Syria” and prayed for the Syrian people, hoping God would protect them from suffering, terrorism, injustice, and foreign interference.
Sadr’s statement coincided with Syrian opposition groups taking control of two major cities in the country.
Al-Sadr avoided mentioning the Syrian government, stating: “We maintain our stance of non-interference in Syrian affairs and support the Syrian people's right to determine their own future.”
He warned against following the agendas of the US, Israel, Britain, and their allies, which he said aim to destroy religion, divide unity, and cause discord.
“Iraq, its government, people, and security forces must not interfere in Syria, as they have in the past. The Iraqi government should prevent such interference and punish those who threaten Iraq's security,” Sadr stressed.
Earlier, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) faction in Syria, urged Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to “keep Iraq out of the Syrian war and stop sending fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces to support the Syrian army.”
On Thursday, Iraq’s Islamic Dawa Party called for a “wise approach” to regional and international issues and urged political leaders to “meet the challenges” to protect Iraq’s achievements, referring to the ongoing crisis in Syria.
On Tuesday, a security assessment in Baghdad advised against involvement in the current fighting in Syria, warning that it could lead to a complex regional trap.
The assessment concluded that the Syrian conflict does not currently pose a direct threat to Iraq but stressed the need to keep monitoring developments.
Syrian sources reported that on Monday, Iraqi fighters and their equipment entered Syria and gathered near al-Bukamal, before being hit by unidentified aircraft near Mayadeen.
