Influential Iraqi Shia leader blames Iraqi militias for deaths in US-Saudi strikes

Influential Iraqi Shia leader blames Iraqi militias for deaths in US-Saudi strikes Influential Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr has blamed armed groups and Baghdad’s failure to establish state control over weapons for fighters killed in joint US-Saudi air strikes. Writing on X, al-Sadr accused militia leaders of pursuing personal interests while exposing their fighters and Iraqi security personnel to deadly attacks. “The militias’ reckless actions and the failure to restrict weapons to the state have been, and continue to be, the cause of the unjust martyrdom of our fighters,” he said.