Iraq’s Sadr Bans his Movement’s Armed Wing from Using Weapons

An Iraqi walks down a street in Baghdad, passing by a portrait of Moqtada al-Sadr wearing the military uniform of Saraya al-Salam (AFP)

Iraqi cleric and leader of the Sadrist movement, Moqtada al-Sadr, has prohibited his followers and members of his armed faction, Saraya al-Salam, from using weapons inside or outside Iraq.

He also emphasized the need to turn to “wise figures and religious authorities” in the event of external aggression against the country.

Sadr’s directive comes as Washington has urged Baghdad to prevent any armed faction from supporting Yemen’s Houthis amid ongoing US strikes in Yemen.

Tahsin al-Humaidawi, the “jihadist deputy” of Saraya al-Salam, said on Wednesday that Sadr had ordered the group not to carry or brandish weapons domestically or abroad. He reiterated that any response to external threats should be guided by religious authorities and national leaders.

“The fate of the nation and its people should not be decided by an individual or a group,” Humaidawi said, hinting at the necessity of keeping weapons under state control and maintaining the government's exclusive authority over war and peace decisions.

Humaidawi added that Sadr’s instructions also included avoiding sectarian rhetoric and inflammatory statements, warning of potential risks that could destabilize Iraq.

Saraya al-Salam, established in 2014 under Sadr’s leadership to combat ISIS, is an armed group aligned with the Sadrist movement’s political agenda. It operates within a religious and ideological framework shaped by Sadr’s vision.

Political analyst and Sadrist insider Manaf al-Moussawi described Sadr’s decision as a response to a “complex political climate.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he noted that the recent rise in sectarian tensions could escalate into a major crisis. “Sadr is trying to prevent strife from spreading,” he said.

Earlier, Sadr warned against Israel’s expansion into Arab and Muslim territories, saying it was reaching Iraq’s borders amid international silence over the massacres in Palestine.

Moussawi added that Sadr’s stance extends to other armed groups, urging them to heed religious authorities in an effort to limit weapons to state control.