ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq’s firebrand Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday said it was “shameful” for any “Arab” individual to pin their hopes on the US Presidential Election, saying much of what the Middle East and third world countries currently go through are due to policies the US governments have pursued in the region.

"It is shameful and disgraceful for a Muslim or Arab to pin his hopes on a senile or madman who does not understand anything about humanity or religion and conscience at all,” Sadr said in a strongly-worded message on X.

“Many have pinned their hopes on the American elections in which the democrats and republicans compete to resolve their issues and achieve their personal and general aspirations to fill the void that the third world nations have fallen in,” Sadr said, as Americans are heading to polls in presidential elections on Tuesday. 

“Most of what the third world countries and the Middle East in particular suffer from are the consequences of the policies pursued by Western governments in general and American governments in particular,” Sadr said. 

Throughout his political career, Sadr has been a stubborn adversary of the USA. Ever since 2003, and soon after the collapse of the former Baath regime, he formed the now-dissolved Mahdi Army, taking up arms against US forces.

He has gone on rampages against the US numerous times and called on the Iraqi government to expel US troops from the soil of Iraq.

Since the start of the Israel war on Gaza last year and Tel Aviv’s military campaign against Hezbollah from mid-September, Sadr has been accusing the US of fueling the regional tensions by supporting Israel

“All candidates for the American elections are the biggest supporters of Israel, and do not be deceived by their calling for a ceasefire in Gaza or Lebanon,” Sadr said, indicating that "whoever wanted to stop the war stopped the supply of weapons and unlimited support to the terrorist Zionists.”

Sadr pointed out that the results of the US elections are "manipulated by those outside the borders of the United States.”

The US Presidential Election is taking place on Tuesday amid fierce competition between former US President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, and current Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat.

Trump has promised to reduce Iranian influence in Iraq and solve problems in the Middle East, while the Democratic candidate promised to stop the war in Gaza. The winner is expected to be announced within hours after the ballot boxes close, or the process may take days, depending on the closeness of the results between the candidates.