Hawzah News Agency- In his Friday prayer sermon delivered on October 9, 2026, Ayatollah Seyyed Yasin Mousavi, the Friday prayer leader of Baghdad and a prominent professor at the Najaf seminary, underscored that Iraq’s sovereignty and independent decision-making constitute a red line that must not be compromised in the face of foreign pressure.
He emphasized that the role of religious scholars and jurists must be defined within the framework of the responsibility of the supreme religious authority, supporting it through the expression of positions, the offering of advice, and the giving of counsel—without directly interfering in the administration of political affairs.
No Religious Position Aims to Topple the Government
Ayatollah Mousavi clarified that religious stances are not adopted with the aim of overthrowing the government or confronting officials. Rather, their purpose is to bring about real change in the performance and policies of the country and to safeguard Iraq’s sovereignty and independence.
He added that advice must not remain merely rhetorical; it must lead to tangible change in the behavior of officials and the performance of the government, parliament, and the judiciary.
Criticism of US Benchmarks for Evaluating the Iraqi Government
The Baghdad Friday prayer leader criticized the reliance of certain political and media circles on assessments by US institutions to measure the performance of the Iraqi government. He noted that US satisfaction with a government does not necessarily mean that government is successful; rather, one must examine the extent to which that government’s policies align with Iraq’s national interests.
Referring to Iraq’s experience in confronting the Daesh terrorist group, he said: “This experience showed that the United States did not provide Iraq with the necessary military support at the appropriate time. Meanwhile, Iraqi fighters achieved significant battlefield gains after the supreme religious authority issued its fatwa and with the support of mujahideen from other countries, including Iran and Lebanon.”
Ayatollah Mousavi called on the Iraqi prime minister to review his government’s performance with a realistic and responsible outlook and to work toward building an independent and powerful Iraq—a country that does not submit to the will of the United States, Saudi Arabia, or any other country.
He stressed that the criterion for the government’s success must be service to the Iraqi people and the protection of national interests—not the appeasement of US President Donald Trump or any other foreign party.
Criticism of Corruption Case Management
The Baghdad Friday prayer leader criticized what he described as a lack of transparency in the handling of certain cases, particularly regarding announced operations to combat corruption and recover public funds.
He stated that the media hype surrounding one of these operations was not accompanied by tangible results commensurate with the volume of statements and propaganda. In this context, he noted the issuance of a judicial ruling to release one of the accused due to insufficient evidence.
Ayatollah Mousavi emphasized the necessity of distinguishing genuine anti-corruption efforts from political exploitation of security cases. He called for the presentation of documentation and results to the public, stating: “Instead of settling for media propaganda, practical action must be taken to return embezzled funds.”
Warning Against Infringement on Iraqi Sovereignty Amid Foreign Pressure
He also criticized the Iraqi government’s handling of security developments related to Saudi Arabia and its permitting of positions in Iraq to be targeted following claims of an attack on Saudi soil.
The Baghdad Friday prayer leader posed questions about the reasons behind decisions affecting Iraq’s sovereignty and warned: “Submission to foreign pressures at the cost of harming Iraqi forces and national interests is an insult to the country’s sovereignty and its institutions.”
Ayatollah Mousavi also criticized the government’s decision to close land borders with Iran, saying it has had economic, political, and security consequences. He noted that the retreat from this decision after its harms became apparent indicates a weakness in examining options and assessing the consequences of decision-making.
He called on the government to adopt a balanced approach in managing regional cases and to consider all dimensions of an issue, rather than taking one-sided positions that appease one party at the expense of ignoring another.
Opposition to Turning Security Institutions into Tools for Foreign Demands
In another part of his remarks, the Baghdad Friday prayer leader criticized what he described as efforts to pressure the Iraqi government to prosecute individuals linked to Ansarullah in Iraq.
Emphasizing the need to respect the law and national sovereignty, he stated: “Iraq’s security and intelligence apparatuses must not be turned into a tool for implementing the demands of other countries.”
Ayatollah Mousavi said: “Decision-making in Iraq must be based on national interests and legal standards, not in response to foreign diktats.”
He also raised questions about actions taken against certain media officials who oversaw the holding of a national ceremony marking the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. He said such actions create ambiguity about the extent of national decision-making independence and the freedom of Iraqi institutions from foreign influence.
He stressed that holding a ceremony to mark the withdrawal of foreign forces must be accompanied by political and administrative measures that demonstrate Iraq’s genuine independence. “Continued subordination to foreign wills—whether American, Saudi, or otherwise—undermines the concept of national sovereignty,” he said.
The Baghdad Friday prayer leader called on officials to clearly explain the objectives and reasons behind their decisions to the people in order to strengthen public trust in government institutions.
Criticism of Dollar Rate Hike and Economic Pressure on the People
In another part of his political sermon, Ayatollah Mousavi criticized the decision to raise the dollar exchange rate against the Iraqi dinar, saying: “Transferring the burden of the financial crisis onto citizens by weakening the national currency is not an appropriate solution—especially at a time when living costs have risen and household purchasing power has declined.”
Rejecting the limitation of solutions for covering the budget deficit to measures such as deducting part of employees’ salaries, imposing forced savings, or raising the dollar rate, he stressed: “The government must also examine alternative options.”
According to him, preventing the waste of financial resources, fighting corruption, recovering embezzled funds, and reviewing public expenditures are among the measures that can be placed on the government’s agenda.
The Baghdad Friday prayer leader warned about the social consequences of rising prices and declining purchasing power, stating: “The poor and low-income households are more harmed than others by economic decisions lacking expert review.”
He added: “The government must not view economic issues merely through the logic of commercial profit and loss; it must also consider its responsibility toward citizens, the administration of society’s affairs, and support for vulnerable groups.”
Warning Against Militarization of Iraq’s Internal Affairs
At the conclusion of his sermon, Ayatollah Seyyed Yasin Mousavi warned against the expansion of the use of military and security tools in managing Iraq’s internal affairs. He criticized the repeated reliance on decisions issued by the office of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces to address political, media, and civil matters.
He stressed: “Iraq, after the end of the occupation, cannot tolerate a return to governance models based on the militarization of public life.” Recalling the experience of the former regime and its painful consequences for Iraqi society, he emphasized the necessity of avoiding the repetition of such approaches.
The Baghdad Friday prayer leader noted: “The mission of the armed forces is to defend the country and confront external threats—not to suppress freedoms or impose dominance over citizens under the pretext of security issues.”
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