Dubai: A Twitter account Iran experts believe is run by the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in comments apparently inspired by Iraq’s turmoil, accused Sunni militants on Thursday of wanting to bring about a war in the Muslim world.
Iran has been alarmed by rapid territorial gains made in Iraq by the militants of the ‘Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’ (Isil), which seeks a caliphate in Iraq and Syria.
Isil’s advances pose a threat to the survival of Iraq as a united country. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s Shiite-led government, an ally of Tehran, has called for military help from the United States, Iran’s longtime foe.
A message posted in English on the Twitter account @khamenei_ir said the militants wanted to foment distrust between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, a goal they shared with “arrogant” powers - normally an Iranian codeword for the United States and its Western and Israeli allies.
The message referred to “takfiri” militants - Sunnis who proclaim followers of other sects of Islam to be infidels.
“Muslims should be aware of Takfiris and arrogant’s common goal to create a war in Muslim world - both Shias and Sunnis should be vigilant,” it said.
“The great danger of the Takfiris is not about killing innocents, although that’s a crime, a big crime.
“Yet greater danger of Takfiris is to make Shias and Sunnis distrust one another; this is a really great danger which fulfils goal of arrogants.” Saudi Arabia, has also expressed alarm about this month’s developments in Iraq and the dangers they pose for Middle East security and peace.