News On Iran & Its NeighboursIraqIran keeps mum on Sadr

Iran keeps mum on Sadr

-

AFP: Iran on Saturday declined to confirm reports that Iraqi Shiite radical leader Moqtada al-Sadr had taken refuge in the Islamic republic. TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran on Saturday declined to confirm reports that Iraqi Shiite radical leader Moqtada al-Sadr had taken refuge in the Islamic republic.

“No, I do not confirm these reports. These things are said to divert attention from the occupying forces who are the source of insecurity in Iraq,” government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters.

The US military in Iraq has frequently said that Sadr pays regular visits to Iran, although Iranian officials have always denied his presence on their soil.

News reports have also placed the radical cleric in Iran.

On Friday, Sadr called a mass rally in Baghdad for April 9 to demand the withdrawal of US troops on the fifth anniversary of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

The announcement came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered his troops to halt raids on the cleric’s Shiite militiamen, following an almost week-long offensive on the Mahdi Army.

Iran had urged both sides to negotiate an end to the clashes that have killed hundreds of people across Iraq.

The United States accuses Iran of being a strong backer of the Mahdi Army, training its militiamen and shipping in armour-piercing weapons for attacks on US troops.

Iran has denied the charges and said that the best way to restore security in Iraq is for US-led coalition troops to pull out immediately.

Latest news

Iran’s Gold Merchants on Strike in Several Cities

Reports and images circulated on social media indicate the expansion of protests and strikes by gold sellers in several...

Intense Rainfall and Floods Damage Dozens of Cities Across Iran

Heavy rainfall has again led to flooding in dozens of cities across Iran, damaging residential homes and agricultural lands....

Iran is the Second Largest Prison for Writers in the World

The 2023 Freedom to Write Index, released by PEN America, shows that Iran continues to be the world’s second-largest...

Iranian Proxies Still Planning Attacks on US Forces

On Thursday, May 2, Avril Haines, the director of the U.S. National Intelligence Agency, told a Senate Armed Services...

Growing Calls for the Terrorist Designation of the IRGC

On Monday, April 29, the Iranian regime’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, in a weekly press briefing, claimed that...

Iranian Merchants Facing 60% Decline in Sales Due to Presence of Morality Police

Discontent among merchants due to a 60% decrease in sales attributed to the presence of the morality police, exerting...

Must read

Hamas leader to visit Iran in fortnight

Iran Focus: London, Nov. 02 – Palestinian Prime Minister...

Iran’s Government Gambles Over People’s Lives

The propaganda machine of the Iranian government is advertising...

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you

Exit mobile version