The name has put the USA in a very difficult position.
New Delhi: Since the massive missile attack by Iran, Israel is raging with vengeance and this has put the entire Middle East in a precarious situation. Up till now, there is no clue when and where Israel will attack Iran and to what extent.
Meanwhile, America has got the access to Israel’s hit list which contains the names of its individual targets and the name on the top of the list has rattled it to the core. On the top of the Israeli hit list is not Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian, or Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar.
On the top of the list is 94 years old Shia religious leader Ayatollah Ali Sistani and this revelation has got the USA in a very difficult position. It immediately alerted Israel about the name of Ayatollah Ali Sistani.
His name appeared in the hit list on Israeli TV Channel 14 which had shown pictures of Israel’s top enemies and targets, including Hezbollah’s deputy chief Nai Qasim and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Among those pictures was the picture of Shia Muslim guru Ayatollah Ali Sistani.
Ayatollah Ali Sistani was shown with red crosshair on his head. Seeing this, the people of Shia community got enraged. Interestingly, the name of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is not on the list. When American authorities saw this, they got uneasy and upset and immediately told Israel that it was wrong to put a Shia Muslim religious leader on the hit list.
In fact, US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski has condemned the showing of Shia religious leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in a hit list on Israel’s Channel 14. On the contrary, America has praised the Muslim religious leader and described him as someone who promoted a more peaceful region.
Not only this, America on Thursday, October 10, expressed its solidarity with Al-Sistani.
Since Al-Sistani was shown as the biggest target on the hit list on Israeli TV, the Middle East region is seething with fury, especially the Shia groups.
US Ambassador Romanowski posted on X: “Grand Ayatollah Sistani is a renowned and respected religious leader in the international community. He is a critical and influential voice in promoting a more peaceful region. We reject any suggestion of targeting Grand Ayatollah Sistani. The United States continues to support efforts to promote peace in the region.”
Grand Ayatollah Sistani is a renowned and respected religious leader in the international community. He is a critical and influential voice in promoting a more peaceful region. We reject any suggestion of targeting Grand Ayatollah Sistani. The United States continues to support…
— Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski (@USAmbIraq) October 10, 2024
Shia Muslim leader al-Sistani is 94 years old Iraqi scholar of Iranian origin. He is considered one of the highest religious leaders among Shia Muslims. But he is not visible in public. One of his last known photos is of him meeting with Pope Francis in 2021. However, from time to time they issue statements to their followers, which act as guidance.
In 2014, he urged Iraqis to unite and defend their country against ISIS.