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TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani sent a message to Grand Ayatollah Sistani wishing the Iraqi Marja quick recovery after the surgery.

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In a statement on Friday, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, Iraq’s PM, said he “listened with great concern” to Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani’s sermon and made his decision about resignation in response to the cleric’s remarks.

“I will submit to parliament an official memorandum resigning from the current prime minister so that the parliament can review its choices,” he said.

“Everyone knows that I had previously suggested this option (to resign) during public and formal statements.”

Abdul-Mahdi was appointed Iraq’s fifth prime minister since 2003 as a consensus candidate following months of political wrangling between rival political blocs.

In his Friday remarks, the grand Ayatollah called on protesters to “separate their ranks from non-peaceful individuals and cooperate on shunning saboteurs” abusing the peaceful protests.

The top cleric also urged security forces to avoid attacking demonstrations of peaceful nature.

He warned that “enemies and their levers” are planning to “plunge the country into internal strife” and bring the country back to the “era of dictatorship” – in an apparent reference to the rule of Saddam Hussein.

Nearly two months of protests have rocked primarily the capital city of Baghdad and southern areas of Iraq.

The protesters have expressed frustration with the failing economy and have demanded political and anti-corruption reforms.

The rallies have, however, turned into violent confrontations on numerous occasions, with reports alleging that certain foreign-backed elements have been seeking to wreak havoc in the country.

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Supreme Shiite authority’s strategy to lead Iraq out of crisis

According To Iran News, The latest statement issued by Iraq’s supreme Shiite authority, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Hosseini Sistani, on the current developments in Iraq is undoubtedly an indicator of his intelligent and comprehensive monitoring of the situation in the country. The grand ayatollah’s efforts are intended to put a real end to the current crisis engulfing the country.

The act of issuing such a statement by Ayatollah Sistani in a situation in which Iraq’s regional and trans-regional foes have been using their maximum energy to abuse the legitimate demands of the protestors to create insecurity and destabilize the country can in fact help realize the people’s real demands through peaceful means free from any form of violence.

In fact, the propagandistic, security and political plots orchestrated by the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia have been aimed at perpetuating political crisis and security problems in Baghdad and other cities. In this way, they want to push the country toward violence and insecurity so that the real demands of Iraqis are put into oblivion.

Now, after weeks of unrest in which the situation in has been getting better and Iraq’s officials have decided to take practical steps to put an end to the people’s problems, the US, in a provocative and meddlesome statement issued on Sunday, accused Iran and the Iraqi government of being the root causes of the riots in the country in order to block any pathway to calm the situation and then put the Iraqi president under pressure to announce early elections.

A review of the main cores of Ayatollah Sistani’s latest statement testifies the depth and comprehensiveness of his strategies which are based on meeting the people’s will and demands:

*Recognizing Iraqis’ rights to hold peaceful demonstrations;
*Commemorating recent incidents’ victims across Iraq;
*Necessity of identifying, arresting and putting on trial those who murdered Iraqi protestors;
*Materialization of social justice and laying emphasis on the government’s unique opportunity to respond to popular requests, putting an end to corruption and countering parties’ growing feel of seeking more political power-sharing;
*Driving a wedge between real protestors and rioters,
*Keeping vigilance against the enemies’ abuse of current situation in Iraq;
*Respecting Iraqi security and military forces’ rights in protests as they are still engaged in war on ISIL terrorists and are defending people, the country and sacred values of Iraq.

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In a statement read out by his representative Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalaei during a sermon in the holy city of Karbala on Friday, Ayatollah Sistani held security forces accountable for any violent escalation and urged the Baghdad government to respond as quickly as possible to demonstrators’ demands. Iran News quotes the story.

“Peaceful protests in Iraq, in various forms, should be paid great attention. The biggest responsibility is on the security forces. They must avoid using excessive force with peaceful protesters,” the revered cleric said.

Ayatollah Sistani also said there should be “no more procrastination.”

“The political apparatus has a unique opportunity to respond to citizens’ demands with an agreed roadmap,” he said in the sermon read out by his representative.

Protesters in Iraq have directed their rage at a class of elite leaders, whom they accuse of pillaging the oil-rich country’s wealth while the population grows poorer.

The protests, which began more than a month ago, have often turned violent, with security forces opening fire and protesters torching government buildings.

Last week, President Barham Salih said Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi was willing to resign once political leaders agreed on a replacement. He also called for new election law and said he would approve early parliamentary polls once it was enacted.

But as the protest movement has dragged on, top leaders meeting in Baghdad, the holy city of Najaf and Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, appear to have reached a consensus over the premier staying in power.

Senior cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who had been supporting the protests and had demanded the government resign, has gone silent as well.

On Thursday, state-run al-Iraqiya television network aired a recorded address by Abdel Mahdi to cabinet ministers in which he discussed the 2020 budget.

The embattled Iraqi prime minister has proposed a series of reforms to appease protesters, including hiring new civil servants, raising welfare and launching infrastructure projects.

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According To Iran News, Iraq’s top cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called on protesters and security forces to keep anti-government demonstrations peaceful.

“Real reform and change in the country has to be through peaceful methods,” Ayatollah Sistani said in a message delivered by his representative during a sermon in the holy city of Karbala.

The top cleric said that security forces must not allow attacks on public and private property, must ensure the safety of the rallies, and stay away from violence.

He also urged the demonstrators to avoid vandalizing the public properties, describing any act of vandalism as “illegal and illegitimate.”

The representative quoted the top cleric as saying that protesters should be aware of infiltration of suspicious elements, trying to exploit the rightful demands of protesters, Reuters reported.

He also said that true reform is only possible through unity and cooperation.

Thousands of Iraqi protesters have massed near the high-security Green Zone in Baghdad in a resumption of anti-government demonstrations that left more than 150 people dead earlier this month.

The Friday rallies have also left one protester killed and 224 others wounded, according to Al-Sumaria News, citing the High Commission for Human Rights of Iraq.

The fresh demonstrations come after Prime Minister Abdul Mahdi pledged more reforms aimed at improving economy. The premier said people are free to exercise their right to demonstrate, but violence would not be tolerated.

Addressing the nation on Thursday night, Abdul-Mahdi said people had the right to call for the government to resign.

However, a collapse of the government, as some protesters have suggested, won’t help improve the situation in the Arab country, he said.

“The resignation of the government today without a constitutional alternative will lead the country into chaos,” he said.

A government committee established by Abdul-Mahdi reported on Monday that 149 civilians were killed in the first round of the protests due to the use of excessive force and live bullets by security officers.

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“In Najaf, visited and conferred with four prominent religious authorities, including Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani,” Zarif noted.

A statement released by the Najaf-based office of Ayatollah Sistani said the Iranian president has briefed the popular Shiite cleric on the outcomes of his visit to Iraq and the agreements that Tehran and Baghdad have signed in the trip.

The statement said Ayatollah Sistani has welcomed any initiative for Iraq’s strong relations with its neighbors on the basis of respect for the sovereignty of others and non-interference in the internal affairs of each other.

The grand Ayatollah has also praised Iran’s help for Iraq in the fight against terrorism, it added.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Rouhani arrived in Baghdad on Monday at the official invitation of the Iraqi government. It was the Iranian president’s first official visit to Iraq during his tenure.

Rouhani held meetings with Iraqi President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament Mohamed al-Halbousi, and many other prominent figures.

In a joint statement on Tuesday, Tehran and Baghdad reaffirmed their commitment to enhance bilateral relations in all fields of mutual interest.

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