Cairo, June 13 (dpa/GNA) – An influential Shiite cleric in Iraq, on Friday appealed to his compatriots to stay out of the conflict, following the heavy Israeli airstrikes on Iran overnight.
It is of the utmost importance that Iraqi territory is not misused as a battlefield for the warring parties, according to Muqtada al-Sadr, who leads one of the largest Islamist movements in the Middle East.
“Iraq and its people do not need any more wars. I therefore call on you to follow the voice of wisdom,” said al-Sadr in a message posted on X.
At the same time, he sharply criticised the Israeli attacks on Iran and condemned in particular, the use of Iraqi airspace to carry out the strikes.
Known for his harsh rhetoric against the US and Israel, al-Sadr was at the forefront of the fight against US troops, after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and received support from Iran.
However, the relationship between Tehran and the cleric deteriorated steadily in recent years, and his followers are now fighting against the influence of both the US and Iran in Iraq.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani also strongly condemned the Israeli attack.
Iraq would not tolerate other countries using its territory or airspace to attack neighbouring countries, al-Sudani said at a meeting with the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Iraq, Steven Fagin, according to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
The government would actively take all legal steps to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, the prime minister stressed.
According to the state news agency INA, Iraq has submitted a complaint to the UN Security Council.
GNA