Sistani's weekly sermon was delivered by his representatives shortly after two demonstrators died in renewed protests in Baghdad on Friday.

He called on demonstrators to stay peaceful and said security forces should "deal with them with the utmost restraint."

"The authority's insistence that protests must remain peaceful, without any violence, stems not only from its interest in keeping protesters and security forces from being hurt but also from its extreme care for the country's future," he said.

"Chaos and ruin," he warned, would "pave the way for more external interference".

His sermon appeared to echo the package of reforms put forward by Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, including an anti-corruption campaign, a job creation drive and improved social welfare.

Sistani, who is widely revered among Iraq's Shiite majority, had given Abdel Mahdi until October 25 to respond to protester demands to fight corruption and unemployment.

In a televised speech late Friday, Abdel Mahdi defended his reform plans.