TEHRAN- The office of Iraq’s top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, has issued a statement regarding the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military aggression against Iran.

Below is the text of the statement:

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The military aggression against Iranian territory has been ongoing for several days and has thus far resulted in the deaths of many citizens, including numerous heroes who defended their country, dozens of children, and other innocent civilians. It has also caused significant damage to public and private property. As anticipated, the scope of military operations has expanded, drawing in several other countries, with many of their areas and facilities struck and damaged in scenes unprecedented in the region for a long time.

The unilateral decision — taken outside the framework of the United Nations Security Council — to launch a full-scale war against a United Nations member state in order to impose specific conditions or overthrow its political system, in addition to constituting a violation of international conventions, is an extremely dangerous step with grave regional and international consequences. Such a war is expected to unleash widespread chaos and prolonged instability, inflict immense suffering on the peoples of the region, and harm the interests of others as well.

Therefore, the Supreme Religious Authority strongly condemns this unjust war and calls upon all Muslims and freedom-loving people around the world to denounce it and express solidarity with the oppressed people of Iran. It once again urges all international actors and nations — especially Islamic countries — to exert every possible effort to immediately halt the war and to seek a just and peaceful resolution to Iran’s nuclear issue in accordance with the principles of international law.

(14 Ramadan 1447 AH) corresponding to (March 4, 2026)
Office of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani — Najaf al-Ashraf