Baghdad ( CNN ) -- Radical Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has returned to the country after more than three years in Iran , according to Iraqi state television and websites maintained by al-Sadr 's followers . The Shiite cleric has been in Iran since early 2007 , apart from a public appearance in Iraq in May 2007 . He has been studying in the Iranian city of Qom to become an ayatollah , the title given to high-ranking Shiite Muslim religious scholars . Al-Sadr commanded one of Iraq 's most formidable private armies after the fall of Saddam Hussein , which contributed to violence and instability in the country for several years . His political bloc has now joined forces with a former rival , Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki . The Sadr movement emerged as one of the kingmakers in Iraqi politics in March , when it won 39 parliamentary seats . The bloc 's support played a major role in al-Maliki getting his second term in office .
Ali al - Sadr has been in power since 2007 . He 's been trained to be an engineer . His political bloc was a minority after elections in March .