ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Thursday blamed the “reckless acts” of militia groups and the “failure” to restrict weapons in the hands of the Iraqi state for the deadly strikes on Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). 

“The reckless actions of the militias and the failure to restrict weapons to the state have been, and continue to be, the cause of the unjust martyrdom of the PMF and security forces,” Sadr said in a strongly worded statement. 

A series of deadly airstrikes carried out by the US and Saudi Arabia killed at least 20 PMF members across Iraq on Wednesday dawn, after Riyadh accused Iran-aligned militia groups in Iraq of targeting oil infrastructure in the kingdom. 

The attacks were widely condemned by the Iraqi political sphere and particularly by pro-Iran militias in Iraq, who have issued stark warnings to both the Iraqi government and the US. 

Sadr, however, further blasted the militias and their leaders.

“Their leaders enjoy security, comfort, and commerce,” the influential cleric stated. “Enough of these individual and irrational actions.” 

On Wednesday, Sadr said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) should not target Iraqi territory as it has not been used for strikes on Iran, condemning the “shameless actions” of militias for dragging Iraq into a “pointless war.” 

“The rogue militias must not give our brothers in the Gulf Arab states a pretext to target our holy land,” he said. 

The Iraqi government under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has led a renewed drive to disarm militias and restrict weapons to state control. The initiative is heavily backed by Washington, which has long pushed for the groups – many of which have strong ties to Iran – to be disarmed.

In May, Sadr announced the complete separation of his Saraya al-Salam armed group and its complete integration into Iraq’s security apparatus, a move welcomed by Iraqi leaders, including Zaidi, who described it as a “responsible national position supporting state institutions, sovereignty, and the rule of law.”

The PMF has long been accused of operating outside Baghdad's authority and carrying out military action at the behest of Tehran.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella network of pro-Iran Iraqi militia groups linked to the IRGC, gave Baghdad a nearly one-week deadline to respond to the strikes.