Ayatollah Mousavi, a prominent scholar of the Najaf Seminary, warned that Iraq remains under American influence, particularly in critical areas of decision-making. “Despite the passage of more than twenty years since the overthrow of Saddam’s regime, Iraq is still dominated by Washington’s decisions,” he said, noting that the US continues to control key political and military structures in the country.
He dismissed claims about Iranian influence in Iraq as a deliberate distraction from the reality of American control. “Even US President Donald Trump admitted that Iran holds no real power in Iraq — not in politics, economy, or security,” he asserted. “I do not speak in defense of Iran, but I hold the United States responsible for Iraq’s institutional fragility and dependency.”
The cleric voiced frustration over Iraq’s failure to develop stable and professional institutions. He criticized the tendency of ministers to replace entire administrative bodies upon assuming office, calling for a shift toward an institutional culture. “We need ministries built on legal and hierarchical foundations, not individuals. Look at Iran — their institutions function beyond personalities,” he said.
Ayatollah Mousavi also denounced the lack of sovereignty in Iraq’s security sector, accusing the United States of directly overseeing Iraqi security forces. “The joint operations command in Iraq is headed by an American. No Iraqi aircraft takes off without the coalition’s permission. So where is our sovereignty?” he asked.
He lamented the state of Iraq’s military, saying the country lacks a capable defense force. “We have neither held meaningful military drills nor rebuilt our security capacity since 2003. We remain a nation without effective defense tools — a direct consequence of US policies,” he warned.
Addressing issues of infrastructure and development, Ayatollah Mousavi criticized Iraq’s absence of strategic planning. “We lack a serious planning ministry. Projects are launched without study, billions of dinars are wasted, and citizens still suffer from poor electricity, water, and road services,” he said, calling for long-term solutions grounded in civilizational vision.
Turning to regional issues, Ayatollah Mousavi strongly condemned the Israeli regime’s move to annex the West Bank, describing it as a continuation of a long-standing Zionist project to seize Arab lands. He emphasized that the plan predates even the Balfour Declaration and warned of a broader agenda to expand the so-called ‘Greater Israel.’
He stressed that this plan has been aggressively supported by the United States, particularly under the Trump administration. “But these efforts have been thwarted by the steadfastness of the resistance in Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq,” he noted.
“The resistance axis remains strong,” Ayatollah Mousavi added, affirming that regional resistance forces, particularly Shiite groups, represent the final line of defense against the American-Zionist agenda. “The blood of our martyrs — in Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran — still guides us. Leaders like Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis are eternal symbols of resistance.”
In his concluding message, the cleric urged Iraqis to move beyond emotional and personality-based politics. “We must not vote based on empty promises or personal charisma,” he said. “We need a comprehensive, national project that is people-driven — not personality-driven.”
Ayatollah Mousavi concluded by underscoring that Iraq’s future depends on ending dependency, building robust and sovereign institutions, strategic planning, and tangible improvement in the nation’s political, security, and economic landscape.
