ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi political parties on Monday announced their endorsement for the directives issued by the country’s top religious authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, particularly his call for preventing foreign interference and restricting arms to the state.

In a meeting with Mohammad al-Hassan, head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), in Najaf on Monday, Sistani highlighted significant challenges currently facing Iraq, urging the Iraqi people to learn from past experiences and work toward building a secure, stable, and prosperous future for the country.

Sistani stressed the need for relying on competence and integrity when choosing leaders, as well as “preventing foreign interference in all its forms, enforcing the rule of law, restricting arms to the state, and combating corruption at all levels.”

Iraq’s ruling Shiite Coordination Framework expressed gratitude for Sistani’s recommendations, affirming their “full commitment” to the Shiite religious authority’s message.

“We call on all participants in the political process to work to embody the principles that His Eminence [Sistani] emphasized,” read a statement from the Shiite coalition.

The Sunni Victory Alliance also announced its support for Sistani’s message, stating that the recommendations are “the essence of the desired reform that must be worked on to ensure the proper and effective management of the state and its institutions”

“These directives contain major principles that preserve the interests of the people and the state,” read the statement from the Sunni coalition.

Turning to regional conflicts, Sistani expressed deep sorrow over the ongoing crises in Lebanon and Gaza, along with regret at the international community’s inability to implement effective solutions.

He criticized the failure to halt the suffering or at least protect civilians from the violence attributed to Israeli forces.

The Azm Alliance, another Sunni coalition, also endorsed Sistani’s recommendations in light of the challenges facing Iraq and the region, calling on the international community to urgently move toward protecting civilian lives.

The party stressed "the importance of the national forces' commitment to these directions to achieve a better future for Iraq in which everyone enjoys security and prosperity.”

The Islamic Dawa Party, led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, also announced its full support for the religious authority’s call, describing it as “a clear and guiding roadmap to building a state of institutions according to the standards of efficiency and integrity and to maintain security and stability in the country.”