Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to stop protesting Tuesday after violent clashes between rival Shiite Muslim groups continued for a second day following his announcement that he was withdrawing from politics. The violence prompted Iran to close its air and land borders with Iraq just as millions of Iranians were preparing for an annual pilgrimage to Shiite sites.
“This is not a revolution (anymore) because it has lost its peaceful character,” Sadr said in a televised address. “The spilling of Iraqi blood is forbidden,” he added.
