Iraq's Muqtada al-Sadr demands closure of US embassy over Israel ties

Iraq cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called on the Iraqi government and lawmakers on Friday to close the U.S. embassy in Baghdad in response to Washington’s “unfettered support” for Israel.

“If the government and parliament do not abide by this demand, we will go for further actions which we will later announce,” the statement said.

The populist leader counts millions of Iraqis among his followers and has shown in the past he can stir up gatherings by hundreds of thousands of supporters, mostly working-class Shi’ite Muslims, if he wishes to exert political pressure.

Muqtada al-Sadr has opposed Iranian influence in Iraq, setting him apart from other Shi’ite leaders who have close ties to Tehran. He has also opposed the U.S. and called for the departure of the last remaining U.S. troops in Iraq.

In June, his followers stormed and set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad in connection with the burning of a Koran in Sweden. The demonstration was called by Sadr’s supporters.

Last year, he commanded his followers to storm Baghdad’s heavily secured Green Zone – which houses government buildings and embassies – and occupy parliament.