Iraqi Islamic Supreme Council leader calls for national-spirit army

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Sheikh Humam Hamoudi, head of the Iraqi Islamic Supreme Council, said at a Dialogue Forum event that Iraq must establish an army guided by a national rather than sectarian spirit. He warned that some parties are seeking to provoke Shia-on-Shia conflict, framing the effort publicly as protection of public interests while in practice aiming to erode Shia political and social influence and sideline effective forces. Hamoudi said the conspiracy would fail thanks to the country's senior religious authority and public awareness. He described Iraq as an enemy of the "Zionist entity," which he said is working to fragment the strength of regional states. He called for an army committed to safeguarding citizens' lives, interests and sovereignty as a sacred objective, and insulated from political influence and personal agendas. Hamoudi noted that Iraq has a coalition government based on consensus among all parties rather than Shia rule alone, and said the Coordination Framework should monitor government policies through specialized committees and operate in a state administration council format across all fields.