Muqtada al-Sadr's Threat: If the U.S. Embassy in Iraq is Not Closed, 'Next Steps' Will Be Taken

Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia cleric in Iraq, on Friday called on the Iraqi government and parliament to vote to close the U.S. embassy in Iraq due to its 'unlimited support for Israel.' Al-Sadr stated, 'If the government and parliament do not comply with this request, we will take next steps that will be announced subsequently.' Hundreds of supporters of Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups gathered last week in solidarity with Hamas militants and demanded an end to the Gaza blockade at the main border crossing between Iraq and Jordan. According to Reuters, about 800 supporters of the group known as Hashd al-Shaabi, consisting of Iran-backed Shia militants, traveled by bus from Baghdad to the border crossing in western Anbar province, the closest access point from Iraq to the West Bank. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden stated on Wednesday that if Iran or its proxy groups continue to attack U.S. positions in the Middle East, the Islamic Republic will face a decisive response from Washington. Biden, in a press conference with the Australian Prime Minister at the White House, emphasized, 'My warning to the Ayatollah is that if they continue their actions against our forces, we will respond, and they should be prepared.' U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also warned the Islamic Republic and its proxy forces during a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York that if Tehran or its affiliates attack U.S. forces anywhere, Washington will 'defend its forces and security quickly and decisively.' Concurrently, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday the deployment of a squadron of F-16 fighter jets to the Middle East to enhance the combat capabilities of U.S. forces for self-defense. The Pentagon stated that this move was in response to multiple attacks by Iran-backed militia groups against U.S. forces following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. According to U.S. officials, since the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel war on October 15, U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have repeatedly been targeted, resulting in injuries to four U.S. soldiers and five military contractors. Al-Sadr's supporters set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Al-Sadr suspended the activities of his political group due to 'corruption' among some supporters. Mohammed Soudani is seeking to reduce Iran's influence in Iraq from France. Clashes in Basra; the location of Iran-backed groups was attacked. Amid the Israel-Hamas war, Iran's allies in the Middle East are preparing. The Jerusalem Post reported that Hezbollah and Hashd al-Shaabi are involved in suppressing protests in Iran. The U.S. has sanctioned several individuals and entities linked to Hamas and several members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The U.S. maintains that the Islamic Republic continues to be the 'primary supporter of terrorism' in the world. Under Biden's orders, the U.S. military response to drone and missile attacks by Iran's proxy forces has been initiated.