Overview

• On June 19, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the highest Shi’ite authority in Iraq, warned that targeting Iran’s supreme religious and political leadership would plunge the region into chaos
• He appealed to global powers to pursue diplomatic negotiations to resolve Iran’s nuclear programme peacefully
• Israel’s June 13 surprise strike on Iranian military and nuclear facilities killed top commanders and scientists
• Iran responded with waves of missile barrages against Israel, stoking fears of a wider Middle East conflict
• Hundreds of Shi’ite clerics rallied near the Iran-Iraq border on June 18, waving flags and denouncing Israel’s attack