Translated with AI
The spiritual leader of Iraqi Shiites, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on Thursday condemned threats against Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Press TV reported, citing a statement by al-Sistani.
"Ayatollah Sistani strongly condemned Israel's ongoing aggression against Iran, as well as threats to eliminate the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei," the channel notes.
"Ayatollah Sistani, the top cleric in Iraq, warned that any such action could lead to a loss of control over the situation and cause widespread chaos, which would increase suffering in the countries of the region and seriously undermine the interests of all interested forces," Press TV reports.
In turn, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned the United States against direct intervention in the Iran-Israel conflict.
"If the US wants to actively intervene to support Israel, Iran will have no choice but to use the means to teach the aggressor a lesson and defend itself (…) our military planners have all the necessary means at their disposal," Al Arabiya quotes him as saying.
Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told ABC News that he believed eliminating Khamenei could lead to an end to the conflict.
"This will not lead to an escalation of the conflict, on the contrary, it will lead to its end," the prime minister said, commenting on Western media reports that US President Donald Trump rejected Israel's idea of possibly eliminating the ayatollah, as this could lead to an escalation of the situation.
