Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the National Shia Movement, hailed the anti-corruption campaign by Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi as “heroic,” stressing that the measures “restored hope” to the Iraqi people.

“What the Prime Minister, Brother Ali al-Zaidi, has carried out in terms of an arrest campaign against the corrupt is nothing short of a heroic reform campaign that we hope will continue,” al-Sadr said in a statement on Monday.

Launched on Sunday, Iraq’s massive anti-corruption raids are expanding rapidly, with dozens of high-profile arrests made so far, massive assets seized, and unprecedented coordination between Baghdad and Kurdistan Region forces.

Al-Sadr, an influential Iraqi Shia cleric, has long campaigned as a reformer, making anti-corruption a central pillar of his political platform.

‘Restored Hope’: Al-Sadr Praises Judiciary and Security Forces 

The Movement’s leader noted that the recent campaign “has restored hope to our hearts and the hearts of the Iraqi people after the corrupt had dominated the country's destiny.”

He also praised the role of the Iraqi judiciary and the security forces, particularly highlighting the efforts of the counter-terrorism and anti-corruption units. 

“May you be rewarded with the best of rewards on our behalf and on behalf of the nation,” he added.

PM Al-Zaidi Vows ‘No Tolerance’ 

Chairing a cabinet meeting on Sunday night following the raids, al-Zaidi affirmed that the government’s recent anti-corruption campaign represents only the initial phase.

“The situation can no longer be ignored,” he highlighted, adding that the government will aggressively combat corruption and “there will be no tolerance in fulfilling this responsibility.”