Sayyed al-Sistani warns against threats targeting Iran’s leadership

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
19 Jun 2025 06:51
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The office of Iraq's highest religious authority condemns the ongoing Israeli aggression against Iran and calls on the international community to bring an end to the war.

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This handout photo from the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani shows senior cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf on March 13, 2019. (Office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, via AP)

The office of Iraq's highest religious authority, Sayyed Ali al-Sistani, issued a statement strongly condemning the ongoing military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The statement expressed deep concern over the continuation of the attacks and warned against any threats targeting Iran’s top religious and political leadership, stressing that any such criminal act would carry extremely grave consequences for the stability and security of the entire region.

The statement urged influential international actors and all countries, particularly those in the Islamic world, to exert their utmost efforts to bring an immediate end to what it described as an unjust war.

It further called on the international community to pursue a fair and peaceful resolution to the Iranian nuclear issue, in accordance with the principles of international law.

Netanyahu says Sayyed Khamenei's assassination would 'end the conflict'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday did not rule out plans to assassinate Iranian Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei, claiming it would end the war between the two sides.

"It's not going to escalate the conflict, it's going to end the conflict," he said in a 20-minute interview with US network ABC News.

Trump claims US knows Sayyed Khamenei's location

A day later, President Donald Trump claimed on social media that the United States knows where Sayyed Khamenei is located but will not kill him "for now".

"We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there -- We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Reuters reported on Sunday, citing two US officials, that Trump recently blocked an Israeli plan to assassinate Sayyed Khamenei, amid the escalating confrontation between Tehran and Tel Aviv.