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Sadr will not surrender to threats from Iran-linked Shia groups

February 19, 2022 at 9:58 am

Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr in Najaf, Iraq on 18 November 2021 [Karar Essa/Anadolu Agency]

Iraqi Shia politician Muqtada Al-Sadr, head of the Sadrist Movement, announced on Friday that he would never surrender tothe “crushing monsters” who do not want him to form a majority government, The New Khalij reported.

Al-Sadr posted on Twitter: “Most of the people are supporting a national majority government,” stressing that he “will never stay idle.”

He added: “Stop your scaring campaigns. We will not send the country to the past. We want to let it be run from outside the borders,” referring to the other Shia groups loyal to Iran.

Al-Sadr did not mention the names of the sides threatening him over his plan to form a majority government, but he confirmed that the threats were reccurent.

His persistent plan to form a majority government has strained his relations with the pro-Iran Shia parties and armed groups.

Sadrists have the largest number of seats in parliament (73 out of 329), while the share of the pro-Iran groups retreated from 48 to only 17 seats.

Al-Sadr is planning to form a government from the largest blocs in parliament.

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