Sadr urged the government to resign "immediately to stop the bloodletting," while he called on the protesters to resume their demonstrations in a peaceful way and punish those behind the violence.
"If the government does not resign, this will be the beginning of the end of Iraq," he warned in a statement published on his Twitter account.
The Iraqi Shia leader denied that his supporters to have been behind the attack on the Iranian consulate in Najaf city, which was burned down by the angry protesters on Wednesday.
Demonstrations have been ongoing in central and southern parts of Iraq since the 2nd of October, with people asking for better public services, job opportunities, and reforms against corruption.
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