AhlulBayt News Agency: Ayatollah Seyyed Yassin Mousavi, Friday prayer leader of Baghdad and senior professor at the Najaf Seminary, said the ongoing withdrawal of US and coalition forces from Iraq is the result of “popular, parliamentary, and resistance pressure,” stressing that Washington had no real choice in the matter.
Delivering his Friday sermon in Baghdad, Ayatollah Mousavi underlined that American troops “played no role in protecting Iraq” and were only focused on safeguarding the interests of the Zionist regime. He noted that many of the departing forces have redeployed to eastern Syria and Erbil, where, he said, Israeli influence is visible at the security, intelligence, and economic levels.
On speculation about a possible Israeli strike against Iraq or the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), the cleric dismissed the threats, saying: “There will be no attack. These threats cannot intimidate the Iraqi nation. The Israelis are incapable of such a confrontation today.” He warned that any aggression against Iraq would trigger a strong and immediate response: “Any blow to Iraq will be met with decisive retaliation. The Israelis are too cowardly to enter such a battle.”
Turning to domestic issues, Ayatollah Mousavi commented on the Iraqi High Election Commission’s disqualification of hundreds of candidates over legal cases and links to the former Baath Party. He said the return of Baathist figures to government institutions was among the main causes of Iraq’s political and administrative crises.
The Baghdad preacher also condemned Israel’s ongoing bombardment and siege of Gaza, describing the humanitarian situation as an “indescribable disaster.” He warned against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to annex Gaza under the so-called “Greater Israel” project, pointing to maps published by Zionist circles that also include parts of Iraq and neighboring Arab countries.
Concluding his sermon, Ayatollah Mousavi emphasized that “the weapon of resistance in Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine has proven its effectiveness,” urging Iraqi political groups to remain steadfast and reject foreign pressures or deals that would prolong the presence of occupying forces.
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