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Iraqi Militia Leader Qais Al-Khazali Condemns Threats To Khamenei, Warns Of Regional Instability, Urges International Action
On June 20, 2025, Qais Al-Khazali, the secretary-general of the Iran-backed Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haqq militia in Iraq, issued a statement in which he affirmed his group's solidary with Iran's actions against Israel, and denounced alleged Israeli threats against high-ranking Shi'ite leaders.[1]
With a Quranic verse, Qais Al-Khazali opens his statement: "Do they not know that whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger will be in the Fire of Hell forever? That is the ultimate disgrace. Al-Tawba [63-69]"
In the context of what he refers to as a "treacherous Zionist assault" and the Iranian "heroic resistance," Al-Khazali claims that the regions' enemies have now crossed every limit—religious, humane, and international–when they renewed threats to the life of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Al-Husseini Khamenei. Central to his condemnation, Al-Khazali argues that these threats are not unprecedented but echo prior incitements—most notably, the public dissemination of a targeted image of Iraq's prominent Shi'ite religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani.
The secretary-general states that while such rhetoric is not surprising coming from what he labels "criminal players," the gravity of this offense cannot be overlooked. Thus, he warns that threatening the most revered Shi'ite authorities is more than a political act—"it is a direct attack on sacred figures and institutions, and it carries consequences that may extend far beyond the immediate moment." According to him, this constitutes a serious threat to both regional and global stability.
The statement expresses full alignment with Iran and its right to carry out what Al-Khazali describes as "effective deterrence" in the face of aggression. Meanwhile, he calls on the international community—governments, organizations, and world leaders—to intervene immediately. The silence or inaction of global powers, he suggests, will only encourage more violations and increase the likelihood of a broader conflict.
