Latest news with #AbdulMahdial-Karbalai
Shafaq News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq: US security warning highlights risk of Shiite factions confrontation
SHafaq News - Baghdad In a significant development that could reshape Iraq's power dynamics, leading voices within the country's Shia religious and political establishment have called for the disarmament of non-state militias and the reinforcement of state authority, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy said in an anlaysis published on Thursday. The coordinated messaging suggests a deepening rift between Iraq's traditional religious leadership and Iran-aligned armed groups operating outside government control. On June 26, Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai, the official representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, delivered a sermon in Karbala calling for fundamental reform and the enforcement of state authority in Iraq. Karbalai emphasized that the country's future depends on implementing a national governance framework rooted in integrity and institutional legitimacy. Referencing "the Supreme Religious Authority"—meaning Ayatullah Sistani—the sermon called for Iraqi elites to stand up to external interference in all its forms, uphold the rule of law, limit arms to state authorities, and combat corruption at all levels. Karbalai's comments were widely interpreted as an implicit critique of the self-styled muqawama (resistance), the collection of Iran-backed militias that operate outside the state's control despite avowedly being under the prime minister's command. This message was quickly echoed by Shia cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who on July 4 issued a direct and unambiguous demand to dissolve the militias and restore the state's monopoly on armed force. On social media, Sadr declared: "Falsehood shall not be repelled except by handing over uncontrolled weapons to the state, dissolving the militias, strengthening the army and police, and ensuring Iraq's independence, without following the corrupt, and striving earnestly for reform and holding the corrupt accountable.' Together, these statements mark an escalating confrontation between Iraq's nationalist religious authorities and the entrenched influence of Iran-backed militias. As tensions rise, the calls for disbanding these armed groups could set the stage for a broader political and security realignment in Baghdad.
Rudaw Net
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Sistani rep warns Iraqis to remain vigilant despite Iran-Israel truce
Also in Iraq KRG delegation arrives in Baghdad amid efforts to resolve financial disputes Iraq's Victory Coalition to skip election Iraq's marshlands are drying up Two Iraqi delegations to arrive in Erbil to resolve financial disputes with KRG A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The representative of Iraq's highest Shiite religious authority on Thursday urged Iraqis to be cautious because the country is not immune to the consequences of regional tensions as a United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding. 'The current circumstances that the region is going through are extremely dangerous, and the Iraqi people are not immune to the repercussions of the conflict, sooner or later,' said Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai, official spokesperson for Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraqi state media reported. 'Iraqis must arm themselves with awareness and insight in dealing with the serious challenges in the region and passing through the current phase,' he said. 'They must strive to build their country on sound foundations.' Regional tensions remain high as a truce appears to be holding between Israel and Iran, ending 12 days of conflict. Iraq, which is close to Iran and hosts US forces, has expressed concern that further escalation could undermine its fragile post-war recovery. Sistani's office condemned the initial Israeli airstrikes that triggered the conflict, calling them a 'criminal act,' and urged the international community to prevent further bloodshed. The airstrikes killed more than 600 Iranians, including several military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, including women and children. Sistani's office said the attacks demonstrated the 'dangerous and aggressive nature' of Israel's conduct. Twenty-eight people were killed by Iran's strikes on Israel. During the conflict last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out the assassination of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claiming that his death could end the conflict. US President Donald Trump also made inflammatory remarks against Iran and Khamenei, calling the leader an 'easy target,' though he clarified that there are no current plans to assassinate him. Sistani at the time warned against any attempt to target Iran's 'supreme religious and political leadership,' saying it would have grave consequences for the entire region. Regarding the possibility that the conflict between Israel and Iran could be reignited, Trump told reporters in The Hague on Wednesday after attending a NATO summit that "It can start again. I guess someday it can. It could maybe start soon.'
