Sadr renews criticism of militias; Hakim calls for Iraq to stay out of regional conflicts

Influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has intensified his criticism of militias operating outside state authority, directly linking their continued presence and actions to the deaths of members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and other security personnel. In a statement on X, al-Sadr asserted that the "actions of militias and the failure to place all weapons under state control have long been, and continue to be, responsible" for these fatalities. He pointedly remarked that militia leaders "enjoy security, comfort, and commerce," while calling for an end to "individual and irrational actions." These comments follow al-Sadr's recent appeal to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) not to launch attacks from Iraqi territory and his warning to armed factions against providing Gulf states with a "pretext" to target Iraq. He urged the Iraqi government to uphold security, enforce sovereignty, and protect its citizens, while cautioning against the exploitation of sectarian divisions and calling for dialogue and de-escalation with neighboring countries. Meanwhile, Ammar al-Hakim, head of the National State Forces Alliance, emphasized Iraq's desire to be a "bridge for communication between states, not an arena for settling scores." During a meeting with China's new ambassador to Iraq, Xiang Bo, al-Hakim discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, underscoring the importance of ties with China in economic, industrial, and technological fields. He also reiterated the call for regional de-escalation and the resolution of disputes through dialogue. These statements emerge amidst mounting criticism of Iraq's armed factions. Political figures and the public increasingly link the proliferation of weapons outside state control to repeated airstrikes on militia positions. Allegations suggest some PMF facilities are used by Iraqi armed groups and Iran-linked factions, with Iranian advisers reportedly present to coordinate attacks. The Iraqi government, the Ministerial Council for National Security, and offices of the president and parliament speaker have all rejected the use of Iraqi territory for launching attacks against neighboring countries, reaffirming that all weapons must be under state control. The government had set a deadline for the end of September for factions to hand over their weapons to the state, coinciding with the planned withdrawal of remaining U.S. forces. While some factions, like al-Sadr’s Saraya al-Salam, have expressed readiness to comply, others, notably pro-Iran groups such as Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Hezbollah, have reportedly rejected the move.

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the actions of militias and the failure to place all weapons under state control “have long been, and continue to be, responsible” for the deaths of PMF personnel and members of the security forces.