Iraq has announced a three-day national mourning period following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as tensions continue to rise across the Middle East.
The announcement was made on Sunday by government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi, who said Iraq shares in the grief of the Iranian people and the wider Muslim world.
He described Khamenei’s death as the result of an act of aggression and warned that ongoing military actions risk pushing the region into a dangerous cycle of violence.
Baghdad also called for an immediate end to hostilities, stressing the need for calm and dialogue to prevent further escalation.
Iran has long played a major role in Iraqi politics and maintains close ties with several powerful armed groups in the country. These relationships have made Iraq particularly vulnerable whenever tensions flare between Tehran and its regional or international rivals.
The Coordination Framework, a ruling coalition of Shiite political parties in Iraq, issued a separate statement mourning Khamenei and praising his influence, while strongly condemning Israel over the killing.
Influential cleric Moqtada Sadr also expressed condolences to the Islamic world and declared support for the three-day mourning period.
Iraq, which has often served as a battleground for proxy conflicts between the United States and Iran, is now facing renewed uncertainty as the crisis deepens.
Authorities say they are working to keep the country out of direct confrontation while urging all parties involved to step back from further military action.
