Latest news with #Sistani
Iraqi News
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Ayatollah Sistani's office rejects use of his image on political banners
Baghdad ( – The office of Iraq's highest Shia religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has issued a firm directive rejecting the use of his image by political and other service entities on public banners and posters. In a statement released on Sunday, the office specified that Ayatollah Sistani refuses to have his pictures displayed by 'some political and service entities' in public spaces. The directive placed special emphasis on banners raised along the routes used by pilgrims traveling to the holy city of Karbala to commemorate the Arbaeen of Imam Hussein. The office reiterated its 'rejection of this behavior once again,' urging everyone to 'refrain from such actions.' Furthermore, the statement called on 'concerned authorities to take appropriate measures' to address the issue. The directive underscores the long-standing position of the religious authority in Najaf to remain separate from political promotion and to preserve the spiritual nature of religious observances like the Arbaeen pilgrimage.
Memri
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Mohammed Reza Naqdi, IRGC Deputy Commander For Coordination: 'If Any Grand Ayatollah Is Harmed, No American Will Leave The Region Alive'
In a June 28, 2025 interview with the Iranian broadcasting authority, Mohammed Reza Naqdi, IRGC deputy commander for coordination, warned that if there is any harm to, or attempt to harm, any Iranian grand ayatollah, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, no American will leave the region alive. He added that all American "diplomats, military personnel, officials, and oil workers" in the region will be either killed or captured, and warned that even a mere threat would not go unanswered. He also called U.S. President Donald Trump "stupid and moronic." Naqdi referred to statements by Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the supreme Shi'ite authority and director of the Howza Al-Ilmiyya seminary in Najaf, Iraq, where he lives. Sistani had said on June 19, 2025 that any threat of assassination against the supreme religious and political leadership of Iran would have serious consequences for the entire region, including total loss of control and extensive chaos. This, Sistani said, would increase the suffering of the peoples of the region and gravely endanger the interests of all.[1] However, it is important to note that Sistani's statements were not a fatwa, which is binding, and also that they included no mention of either President Trump or the U.S. Senior Iranian officials are choosing to harness Sistani's words for their own purposes, as if he had indeed issued a fatwa. This is apparently so that Shi'ites in Iraq or elsewhere will take action against Americans in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East – as Iranian officials refrain from mentioning the fatwas against Trump issued by senior Iranian grand ayatollahs.[2] Naqdi (Source: Sepahnews, Iran, June 28m ,2025) It must also be clarified that neither President Trump nor any other American official has ever issued a direct threat to Shi'ite grand ayatollahs or against Khamenei, as Iran's supreme leader – that is, against neither religious nor political figures. Trump himself has said that he prevented an initiative to assassinate Khamenei. Also notable is that as of late June, Iranian ayatollahs and senior officials have issued fatwas stating that Trump's punishment is the same as that for a muhareb – an enemy of God and Islam who must be put to death.[3] The following are translated excerpts of Naqdi's statements in his June 28, 2025 interview: Saying that "Ayatollah Sistani published a statement in response to [Trump's] threats," Naqdi called President Trump "stupid and moronic," and said: "Because of his idiocy, Donald Trump has not grasped the meaning of the message of Grand Ayatollah Sistani, and he [Trump] has continued to reiterate his moronic threats." "I am conveying to him the exact meaning of this [Sistani's] message: Oh Donald Trump, hear and understand this: If any harm, even the smallest, comes to one of the Shi'ite grand juristprudents [ayatollahs], whether [the attempt] is successful or not, no American representative will leave the region alive, and all the [American] diplomats, military personnel, officials, and oil workers will be captured if they are not killed. A repeat of these moronic threats, even if they are not accompanied by [actual] deeds, will not go unanswered. Shut your mouth and sit down in your place, you rude person."[4] To view more excerpts from Naqdi's interview on MEMRI TV, click here or below:
Rudaw Net
29-06-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Two Iraqi delegations to arrive in Erbil to resolve financial disputes with KRG
Also in Iraq KRG delegation arrives in Baghdad amid efforts to resolve financial disputes Iraq's Victory Coalition to skip election Iraq's marshlands are drying up Sistani rep warns Iraqis to remain vigilant despite Iran-Israel truce A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two separate delegations from Baghdad are set to arrive in Erbil soon to discuss financial disputes with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a well-placed source told Rudaw on Thursday. A technical delegation was en route to Erbil at the time of writing while a high-profile and decision-making delegation is set to arrive in the Kurdish capital on Monday, the source said on the condition of anonymity. Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Sami informed the KRG late May that it could no longer pay the regional government's share from the federal budget, claiming that the funds allocated to the KRG had been exhausted. Erbil has denied the claim, accusing Baghdad of failing to adhere to a February ruling by the federal supreme court which stipulates that the KRG's share should not be impacted by political disputes. The technical delegation will discuss the method of calculating the federal government's share of non-oil revenues that the Kurdistan Region delivers monthly to Baghdad. Federal oil ministry representatives will also discuss with the Kurdish oil officials the obstacles to Kurdistan Region oil exports and company conditions for those exports. Exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been suspended since March 2023, following a ruling by a Paris-based arbitration court that found Turkey had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing independent exports from Erbil. The other delegation is scheduled to visit the Kurdistan Region on Monday. This is a high-level delegation including representatives from the Iraqi oil and finance ministries and other senior officials to discuss the issues and how to resolve them based on the technical committee's report. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani hoped on Wednesday that the high-level delegation's visit would resolve the disputes. In February, the Iraqi parliament approved amendments to the federal budget law, including a $16-per-barrel fee for production and transport costs for international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the Kurdistan Region. The amendments also require both sides to establish an international technical consultancy within 60 days to assess oil production and transportation costs. If no agreement is reached, the federal council of ministers should appoint the consultancy. Hastyar Qadir contributed to this article.
Rudaw Net
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Sistani rep warns Iraqis to remain vigilant despite Iran-Israel truce
Also in Iraq KRG delegation arrives in Baghdad amid efforts to resolve financial disputes Iraq's Victory Coalition to skip election Iraq's marshlands are drying up Two Iraqi delegations to arrive in Erbil to resolve financial disputes with KRG A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The representative of Iraq's highest Shiite religious authority on Thursday urged Iraqis to be cautious because the country is not immune to the consequences of regional tensions as a United States-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding. 'The current circumstances that the region is going through are extremely dangerous, and the Iraqi people are not immune to the repercussions of the conflict, sooner or later,' said Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai, official spokesperson for Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraqi state media reported. 'Iraqis must arm themselves with awareness and insight in dealing with the serious challenges in the region and passing through the current phase,' he said. 'They must strive to build their country on sound foundations.' Regional tensions remain high as a truce appears to be holding between Israel and Iran, ending 12 days of conflict. Iraq, which is close to Iran and hosts US forces, has expressed concern that further escalation could undermine its fragile post-war recovery. Sistani's office condemned the initial Israeli airstrikes that triggered the conflict, calling them a 'criminal act,' and urged the international community to prevent further bloodshed. The airstrikes killed more than 600 Iranians, including several military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, including women and children. Sistani's office said the attacks demonstrated the 'dangerous and aggressive nature' of Israel's conduct. Twenty-eight people were killed by Iran's strikes on Israel. During the conflict last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out the assassination of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claiming that his death could end the conflict. US President Donald Trump also made inflammatory remarks against Iran and Khamenei, calling the leader an 'easy target,' though he clarified that there are no current plans to assassinate him. Sistani at the time warned against any attempt to target Iran's 'supreme religious and political leadership,' saying it would have grave consequences for the entire region. Regarding the possibility that the conflict between Israel and Iran could be reignited, Trump told reporters in The Hague on Wednesday after attending a NATO summit that "It can start again. I guess someday it can. It could maybe start soon.'
Rudaw Net
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq's marshlands are drying up
Also in Iraq KRG delegation arrives in Baghdad amid efforts to resolve financial disputes Iraq's Victory Coalition to skip election Sistani rep warns Iraqis to remain vigilant despite Iran-Israel truce Two Iraqi delegations to arrive in Erbil to resolve financial disputes with KRG A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Marshlands in southern Iraq are drying up due to worsening drought and declining groundwater levels, a local official warned, as authorities scramble to mitigate the crisis that has already displaced over 10,000 families. 'Most of the marshlands in the north of our province have dried up, and we are trying to revive some of them through the Tigris River, but there is no solution for the other dried marshlands in our province,' said Zeinab al-Asadi, head of the provincial agriculture committee in Dhi Qar. The Tigris River, one of Iraq's two major waterways, flows from Turkey through northern and central Iraq and is a vital source of water for agriculture, drinking, and the marshlands. 'The groundwater level in our province has decreased significantly, and groundwater continues to drop further. This is a major problem facing the residents,' Asadi added. According to Dhi Qar's meteorology directorate, less than 50 millimeters of rain fell in the province last winter - a decline from over 80 millimeters recorded in previous years. 'This year, there was a drought in our province. The water level in the marshlands has decreased to nearly half a meter, when previously none of them were less than a meter [deep],' Asadi said. 'Certainly, in this season, that remaining half meter will also decrease, because much of it will evaporate,' she said. The prolonged drought and desertification have already displaced thousands of people. The local office of the Ministry of Migration and Displacement reported that by October, more than 10,000 families had been forced to move out of areas surrounding the marshlands. 'Part of the citizens were displaced due to the drying of marshlands and desertification,' Asadi said. To address the crisis, Asadi said they are coordinating with the Ministry of Water Resources to dig new artesian wells across the province. Dhi Qar is home to much of Iraq's historic marshlands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered one of the most fertile and ecologically significant areas in the country. The province's population is over 2 million, according to Iraq's census done in November. Iraq's water crisis has been exacerbated by five consecutive years of drought, soaring temperatures, and the construction of upstream dams in neighboring Turkey and Iran. These dams have sharply reduced water inflows into Iraq, leaving the country with less than 40 percent of its entitled share from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers - Iraq's primary water sources. Malik Mohammed contributed to this reported.
