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Iraqi Shiite leader

Muqtada al-Sadr

, a key figure in the country's public life, announced on Monday

his "definitive withdrawal" from politics

, at a time when Iraq is plunged into a serious crisis.

"I had decided not to get involved in political issues. Therefore, I now announce my definitive withdrawal," Muqtada al-Sadr wrote on Twitter at a time of

total political stalemate in Iraq

, where there is a struggle in the Shiite forces to appoint the next prime minister, after the elections in October 2021.

Iraq remains without a prime minister or government, as Shiite forces cannot agree on how to appoint him.

Al-Sadr, very influential in Iraq,

demanded the dissolution of Parliament and early legislative elections

to break the

impasse

.

Following the announcement, groups of al-Sadr supporters stormed the Presidential Palace in Baghdad and tried to cross the concrete barriers installed at its entrances.

A source from the Iraqi Joint Operations Command has confirmed that

"the demonstrators entered the Presidential Palace"

, in the fortified "Green Zone", where the headquarters of the Government and other political institutions of the country are located.

Shortly after, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command

announced a curfew

in Iraq starting this afternoon.

The authorities had already warned that they would act forcefully in the face of any attack against government institutions, diplomatic missions of foreign nations or private property.

Medical sources have confirmed to AFP that at least

two protesters have been shot dead and 22 others have been injured

.

Faced with the unleashed chaos, the Iraqi president, Barham Saleh, has met with the acting prime minister, Mustafá al-Kazemi, and with the leaders of Parliament and the Judiciary to address the situation.

Furthermore, Al-Kazemi has asked al-Sadr to order his supporters to return home to contain the crisis.

For its part, the

United Nations

mission in the country

has described the current escalation as "extremely dangerous"

and urged the protesters to "cooperate with the security forces and avoid actions that could trigger an unstoppable chain of events," according to a release.

Protesters at the Republican Palace pool in Baghdad.

"You bring the political forces closer to the people"

Al-Sadr, whose movement won the October elections with 73 of the 329 seats in the Legislature, affirmed that with his political activity "he only wanted to repair the deformation that, for the most part, was caused by the Shia political forces, the majority being the country, I just wanted to bring them closer to the people so that they feel their suffering.

In the past, al-Sadr has opted more for the political path and has led the main Shiite movements in the country, although without holding an official position.

Sadrism maintains a division between the clergy and the rulers, and that has been the option chosen by Muqtada.

The political coalitions sponsored by him, Al Ahrar in 2014 and Sairun in 2018, won a large part of the seats in the Legislative, thus giving the cleric the

possibility of choosing the Government of Iraq without participating in it directly.

The success of those coalitions has also allowed him to influence some ministries.

What distinguishes al-Sadr from other Shiite parties and militias is his

disassociation from him from Tehran

, which has wielded increasing influence in Iraq in recent years.

The clergyman

advocates for his country's sovereignty, patriotism and independence

despite his ties to the neighbor.

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