Relatives attend a funeral of a man killed during clashes with security in Baghdad during his funeral in Najaf, Iraq, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022.
Iraq’s government has been deadlocked since al-Sadr’s party won the largest share of seats in October parliamentary elections but not enough to secure a majority government. That led to months of political infighting between al-Sadr’s Shiite followers and his Iran-backed Shiite rivals before it became violent Monday.The chaos began when al-Sadr announced he would resign from politics.
The immediate shift on the streets underscored his enduring control over his loyalists, and by extension his influence over the Iraqi political class. Now, the Shiites are fighting among themselves, with those backed by Iran and those who consider themselves Iraqi nationalists jockeying for power, influence and state resources.
Al-Sadr’s initial announcement that he would leave politics implicitly gave his supporters the freedom to act as they see fit. His speech on Tuesday, effectively reined them back in. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad issued a security alert for U.S. citizens urging them to avoid the Green Zone and other areas where demonstrations are occurring as well as a Do Not Travel advisory.
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