Iraq’s top cleric warns of uncontrollable chaos if Khamenei is killed
Iraq’s top Shiite authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has warned a strike on Iran’s senior religious leadership could ignite uncontrollable chaos across the region.
He appeared to be referring to threats Israel or the U.S. might kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In a statement, al-Sistani denounced the ongoing Israeli military campaign against Iran. He said that targeting the country’s top leadership would be a “criminal act (that) would shatter regional stability, deepen human suffering, and inflict far-reaching harm on the interests of all nations.”
He called on the international community – particularly Muslim countries – to increase diplomatic pressure, halt the aggression and broker a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.Widely seen as a voice of moderation, al-Sistani represents a school of thought in Shiism opposed to direct rule by clerics, the system in place in Iran, where Khamenei has the final word in all matters.