Iraq's top Shiite cleric warns against targeting Iran's leadership

Sistani said in a statement Thursday that any targeting of Iran's "supreme religious and political leadership" would have "dire consequences on the region". He warned that such action against the Shiite-led Islamic republic could spark "widespread chaos that would exacerbate the suffering of its (the region's) people and severely harm everyone's interests". Sistani urged the international community to "make every effort to end this unjust war and find a peaceful solution" to concerns about Iran's nuclear programme.