Muqtada al-Sadr, a prominent Iraqi Shia cleric and political leader, issued a statement on the social media platform X addressing the deaths of fighters in recent joint US-Saudi airstrikes. Al-Sadr directly attributed these casualties to the actions of armed militias operating within Iraq, characterizing their behavior as reckless. He argued that these groups prioritize personal interests over national security, thereby endangering both their own members and Iraqi state security personnel.

Beyond criticizing the militias, al-Sadr highlighted a systemic failure by the Iraqi government to centralize control over the country's weapons. He suggested that as long as armed groups operate outside of formal state authority, they will continue to invite foreign military intervention and cause what he described as "unjust" deaths. While the report identifies al-Sadr’s position, it does not provide a response from the accused militia leaders or the Iraqi government regarding his claims. The statement reflects a long-standing tension in Iraqi politics between state-aligned security forces and independent paramilitary groups, many of which maintain their own agendas and command structures. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges Iraq faces in asserting sovereignty over its internal security landscape while navigating complex regional military dynamics involving the United States and Saudi Arabia.