Baghdad: Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Wednesday hailed the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s new supreme leader, hoping he will be successful “in serving the great Iranian nation.”

According to Anadolu Agency, Sistani expressed his hopes that Mojtaba Khamenei will be successful and supportive in serving the Iranian nation, emphasizing the importance of warding off ill-wishers and preserving national unity and cohesion. Mojtaba Khamenei was declared the successor of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike last month.

The region has witnessed significant escalation since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, resulting in over 1,200 deaths and more than 10,000 injuries, as reported by Iranian authorities. In response, Tehran has conducted retaliatory drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.