BAGHDAD

Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has warned against dragging Iraq into any possible military conflict between the U.S. and Iran. 

"War between Iran and the U.S. will be an end of Iraq," al-Sadr said on Twitter.

"Any party that would drag Iraq into the war and turn it into a scene for conflict will be an enemy to the Iraqi people," he said, going on to reiterate his opposition to any military confrontation between Tehran and Washington.

"I'm against dragging Iraq into this war and making it a scene for the Iranian-U.S. conflict," he said.

Over the past few weeks, tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated as the U.S. deployed a carrier strike group and bomber task force to the Middle East, citing an imminent threat from Iran.

Last week, The New York Times cited intelligence sources as saying that Iran had recently deployed military vessels -- armed with missile-launchers -- in the Gulf, raising fears of possible conflict.

On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump told Iran not to threaten the United States, saying it will be Tehran's "official end".