Najaf: The Friday sermon preacher in Najaf emphasized that economic openness should not come at the expense of Iraq's sovereignty, nor at the expense of its feelings, sacrifices, and martyrs. Najaf Friday prayer leader Sadr al-Din al-Qubanchi expressed his opinion on Prime Minister al-Zubaidi's visit to America and his meeting with US President Trump.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, in his political sermon during Friday prayers, al-Qubanchi stated, "We emphasize that economic openness should not come at the expense of Iraq's sovereignty and independence." He expressed regret over the statements made by the US president during the meeting, which he said offended the feelings of the Iraqi people, their values of resistance, and their sacrifices.

Regarding domestic affairs, al-Qubanchi said, "Everyone is optimistic about the exposure of corruption files and the exorbitant figures in the 'Dawn Charge' case. Here, we offer three recommendations: First, this case should be kept free from politicization; second, it should be kept free from sectarian exploitation; and third, it should be kept free from local and foreign pressures."

In his remarks, al-Qubanchi also called on the Kurdistan Regional Government to prevent the Iranian opposition from overstepping its bounds and committing aggression against the Islamic Republic, and to prevent them from establishing headquarters and camps in Erbil and elsewhere.

At the end of his sermon, he offered condolences to the families of the martyrs from Basra Governorate who were pilgrims to Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) and who perished in a traffic accident on their way to the pilgrimage.