“Grave Consequences” if War Escalates, Warns Iraq's Top Shiite Cleric
Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, condemned military aggression against Iran, warning of severe regional chaos if hostilities escalate. He urged global and Islamic nations to help end the war and pursue a peaceful resolution.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The office of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's top Shiite cleric, issued a statement on Thursday condemning ongoing military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The statement, released from Najaf al-Ashraf, also warned of dire consequences should hostilities escalate further.
"The Supreme Religious Authority in Najaf al-Ashraf renews its strong condemnation of the continued military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran and any threat targeting its highest religious and political leadership," the statement read.
Sayyid al-Sistani's office stressed that any such action constitutes a "blatant transgression of religious and moral standards" and a violation of international norms and laws. It warned that such an act could lead to “extremely grave consequences for the situation in the entire region,” potentially resulting in widespread instability and suffering.
"It may even lead to a complete loss of control and widespread chaos that would increase the suffering of its peoples and severely harm the interests of all parties to the utmost extent," the statement continued.
The statement concluded with a call to action directed at the global community: "We appeal to all active international bodies and world countries—especially Islamic nations—to exert their utmost efforts to stop this unjust war and to find a just and peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue in accordance with the principles of international law."
On the morning of Friday, June 13, 2025, the Israeli army launched an attack using warplanes and drones on Iran’s nuclear facilities and ballistic missile production sites. At the same time, a number of Iran’s military commanders and nuclear scientists were killed.
In response, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles late Friday night targeting Tel Aviv, Haifa, and several buildings and homes, many of which were destroyed as a result.
