Muqtada al-Sadr says Iranian strikes on Iraqi territory are 'regrettable'

NAJAF, Iraq — Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist movement, said on Saturday that strikes on Iraqi territory launched from Iran with drones were regrettable, while similar attacks from other countries would be a source of pride. In a written statement released Saturday, Sadr said attacks on Iraqi land by enemy states using unmanned aircraft would be honorable, but strikes originating in Iran represented an unacceptable development. He added that targeting Iraqi officials, whether in Baghdad, the Kurdistan Region or any other part of the country, could not be tolerated. Addressing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Sadr said Iraqi territory should not be struck, arguing that such action plays into the hands of Iraq's enemies. He called for the region to be kept away from wars and for Iraq to be protected against threats from any source.