ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Baghdad on Wednesday condemned the apparent targeting of Iraq's highest Shiite authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani by Israeli media after his image was added to a list of pro-Iran figures with crosshairs on their heads shown during a TV report.
“The Iraqi government strongly condemns any attack on our Supreme Religious Authority, who is respected and revered by all Iraqis, the Arab and Islamic worlds, and the international community. We warn of the dangers of these attempts, rooted in racism and deep disrespect for the sanctities of nations. Such provocations encourage the expansion of aggression and pose a real threat to international peace and security,” government spokesperson Basim al-Awadi said in a statement.
He did not explicitly say who had targeted Sistani, but accused Israeli media of “inciting” a “vicious” attack on Sistani.
Channel 14, a rightwing Israeli broadcaster, recently displayed the images of six Iranian and pro-Iran figures, including Iran’s spiritual leader Ali Khamenei, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and Sistani, with crosshairs on their heads, implying that they are potential targets. Israel has killed several pro-Iran figures in the Middle East in recent weeks.
Sistani was born in Iran’s Mashhad in 1930. He has held the position of Iraq’s most senior Shiite authority since the 1990s and is respected by Muslims around the world.
He has spoken out against Israel’s recent attacks on Lebanon, saying in a late September statement that “every possible effort” should be made to stop “the ongoing barbaric aggression.”
He also called on “believers to do what contributes to alleviating their suffering and securing their humanitarian needs.”
Upon his call, the Iraqi government started offering humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people and has welcomed more than 6,500 refugees, who Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has labeled “guests of Iraq.”
Iraq has been a staunch supporter of Palestine for decades. The current Shiite-led cabinet has also sided with Lebanon in the fight with Israel. It has so far only provided humanitarian aid, but Iraq’s pro-Iran militia groups have carried out dozens of drone and rocket attacks on Israel since Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel a year ago triggered the escalation in the decades-old Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Israeli army announced on Friday that two of its soldiers were killed and 24 others were injured when an explosive-laden drone from Iraq hit a military base in the Golan Heights.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose network of pro-Iran armed groups, claimed it struck Israel with drones the same day but did not provide details.
