At least 23 people have been killed in some of the worst fightings in years in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, provoked by the decision of a senior leader to leave politics.
Gunfire and rocket fire was heard as supporters of Shia Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr fought with Iran-aligned security forces and militias.
Mr. Sadr has ordered his supporters to leave the area in front of the parliament where they have been protesting for several weeks.
Iraq has remained paralyzed since the inconclusive elections of 2021.
The violence erupted on Monday after one of Iraq’s most important personalities, Mr. Sadr, announced his retirement from politics.
His coalition gained the most seats in the October elections, but it was unable to establish a new government with the second-largest coalition, which consisted primarily of Iran-backed parties.
Mr. Sadr, who was formerly an Iranian supporter, has recast himself as a nationalist who seeks to halt American and Iranian interference in Iraq’s domestic affairs.
Mr. Sadr’s militia, known as the Peace Brigades, Iranian-backed militias, and Iraqi security forces have been engaged in combat.
Iraq’s volatile politics: The essentials
Since 2003, when tyrant Saddam Hussein was deposed by a US-led war, Iraq has been plagued by instability and the growth of powerful armed organizations.
The country is rich in oil, yet many Iraqis suffer from unemployment, corruption, and a lack of essential amenities; successive governments are held responsible.
Iraq has internal tensions: in 2003, Iraq’s Shia Arab majority gained political control, provoking anger among Iraq’s Sunni Arabs, Kurds, and other minority groups.
Much of the violence has been centered on the heavily defended Green Zone, which houses government facilities and foreign embassies. Due to the conflict, the Dutch embassy personnel was obliged to relocate to the German mission.
In response to the disturbance, Iran has closed its borders with Iraq, while Kuwait has encouraged its residents to leave Iraq immediately.
All of those murdered were Mr. Sadr’s supporters, while approximately 380 were injured, according to the AFP news agency and Iraqi medics.
A representative for Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres stated that he was disturbed and demanded “urgent efforts to de-escalate the situation.”
Mr. Sadr apologized to the Iraqi people on Tuesday for the bloodshed and directed his supporters to end their demonstrations.
In a televised address, he declared, “This is not a revolution because it has lost its peaceful nature.” “The shedding of Iraqi blood is strictly prohibited.”
Monday’s nationwide curfew was lifted by the military following his speech.
Moqtada al-Sadr, 48 years old, has dominated Iraqi public and political life for twenty years.
In the wake of the 2003 war that deposed former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, his Mehdi Army emerged as one of the most formidable militias that fought the United States and the new Iraqi army.
He eventually renamed them the Peace Brigades, and they remain one of the largest paramilitary Popular Mobilisation Forces militias.
This issue is deeply rooted in the plight of ordinary Iraqis, who are sick of the sectarianism and pervasive corruption that has plagued their governance for two decades. It has expanded the political room for those proposing radical action and an exit.
The immediate cause is the escalating, violent conflict between the groups of the majority Shia community in Iraq, which are striving for control of the country and the state. The election result impasse has resulted in the greatest period without a government.
Mr. Sadr commands millions of adherents, hundreds of whom have camped outside the parliament since storming it twice in July and August to protest the political stalemate.
On Monday, the spectacle of his followers diving into the swimming pool of a government palace was a reminder of his ability to mobilize his base, and the rising protests were an indication of his reputation for bold action. More alarming is the rapid escalation of violence in Baghdad, coupled with a UN warning that the future of the state is in jeopardy.
