Shafaqna English — The Office of the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a statement declaring that the Supreme Religious Authority, while condemning in the strongest possible terms the unjust war against Iran, calls upon all Muslims and free people of the world to condemn it and to stand in solidarity with the oppressed people of Iran. It once again urges all effective international institutions and the countries of the world—especially Islamic countries—to exert their utmost efforts to bring about its immediate cessation and to reach a peaceful and just solution to Iran’s nuclear issue in accordance with the principles of international law.
According to Shafaqna, the full text of the statement from the Office of Grand Ayatollah Sistani is as follows:
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
The military aggression against the land of Iran has continued for several days and has thus far resulted in the martyrdom of a large number of citizens, including many brave defenders of the homeland, dozens of children, and other innocent civilians. It has also caused extensive damage to public and private property. As had been anticipated, the scope of reciprocal military operations has expanded to include several other countries, such that parts of their territories and facilities have suffered damage and destruction—unprecedented scenes the region has not witnessed for a very long time.
The adoption of a unilateral decision, outside the framework of the United Nations Security Council, to launch a comprehensive war against another country that is a member of the United Nations—whether to impose specific conditions or to overthrow its political system—constitutes not only a violation of international norms, but also an extremely dangerous act with grave consequences at both regional and international levels. Such an action is expected to lead to widespread chaos and prolonged instability, inflicting immense suffering on the peoples of the region and harming even the interests of others.
Accordingly, while the Supreme Religious Authority condemns this unjust war in the strongest possible terms and calls upon all Muslims and free people of the world to denounce it and to stand in solidarity with the oppressed people of Iran, it once again urges all effective international institutions and the countries of the world—particularly Islamic countries—to exert their utmost efforts to immediately halt it and to achieve a peaceful and just solution to Iran’s nuclear issue in accordance with the rules of international law.
(14th of Ramadan, 1447 AH)
Office of Ayatollah Sistani (may his shadow endure) — Najaf al-Ashraf