Iraq’s Shiite leader calls for holy war in defense of Iran

Shiite fighters of Iraq with a portrait of Iraqi Shiite leader Ali al-Sistani. Photo: Middle East Online

On March 8, 2026, Iraq’s supreme Shiite leader Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa urging public support for Iran amid the ongoing war in the region, describing it as a “sufficient duty,” Middle East Online reports.

According to the report, the fatwa was circulated through Telegram channels linked to Shiite factions. It called for a “broad public presence” and solidarity in defense of the “Islamic system,” while participation in marches and events at mosques under the current circumstances was described as a “collective duty.”

The outlet notes that Sistani’s latest appeal has drawn comparisons with his 2014 fatwa on “sufficient jihad” against ISIS, which at the time triggered the mass mobilization of Shiite fighters and led to the creation of the Popular Mobilization Forces. This time, however, the call is tied to support for Iran amid the sharp escalation in the Middle East.

Observers believe the new fatwa could have serious political and military consequences for Iraq itself. In their view, mobilization under the banner of supporting Iran could boost the activity of Iraqi armed groups linked to Tehran and draw the country deeper into a broader regional conflict involving the United States and Israel.

On the same day, the “Coordination Committee of the Iraqi Resistance” threatened the American side and the leaders of Kurdish parties in Iraqi Kurdistan with “harsh strikes,” while also vowing to defend Iran’s borders. Against that backdrop, the outlet writes, Sistani’s fatwa is already being seen not merely as a religious move, but as a development that could turn Iraq into yet another battleground in an expanding regional war.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the joint Israeli-American military operation against Iran was given a codename referring to the biblical forefather of the Jewish royal line.

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