After Consulting with Experts, Aram I Calls for End to Military Operations in

Smoke hovers over Beirut as Israel continues to target Lebanon

His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilician convened an emergency session of the Cilicia Analytical Platform on Thursday to address the growing unrest in the Middle East sparked by the United States and Israeli attacks on Iran.

The Catholicos briefed participants of the virtual meeting on his recent telephone consultations with the spiritual and community leaders of the prelacies in Iran, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and Syria. He particularly addressed the situation affecting the three prelacies in Iran and the increasingly unpredictable situation in Lebanon.

Analysts participating on the call presented military and political assessments of the causes, objectives, and unprecedented scale of the current regional escalation. Discussions focused on the potential implications for Armenians, including the circumstances surrounding the missile reportedly launched toward Nakhichevan, the exploitation of the Kurdish factor, and Turkey’s strategic ambitions. Experts also examined the possibility that Baku might take advantage of the situation to initiate actions against Armenia.

The Catholicos emphasized the importance of closely monitoring and objectively evaluating the various dimensions of the ongoing wars worldwide through the analyses provided by the group of experts.

The meeting noted that Armenian prelacies of the Middle East—including the three in Iran, as well as those in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf, Lebanon, and Syria—are operating in the regions affected by conflict. The group also reaffirmed the directive previously issued by the Catholicos, urging prelacy leaders in these areas to take all necessary measures to safeguard Armenian communities and to remain attentive to their needs and concerns.

The Catholicos issued a statement on Saturday, following the analytical platform’s meeting to voice concern over the growing tensions in the Middle East and calling on the community to come together in this time of renewed crisis in the region.

He also called for an end to all military operations in the region.

Below is Aram I’s Pontifical statement.

We are following the war in the Middle East with grave concern. Some experts consider the current war the beginning of a third world war, while others view it as part of a long series of military confrontations. Whatever interpretation may be given, the military actions unleashed against Iran by the United States and Israel are in fact becoming increasingly complex, intensifying, and expanding, drawing in the entire Middle East and even showing signs of spreading beyond the region. Uncertainty is deepening, chaos is spreading, the number of human casualties and wounded is rising, physical destruction is widening, and the wave of refugees is growing.

All countries in the Middle East, to varying degrees, face the devastating effects of the war across security, safety, economy, society, politics, and other areas. However, Iran and Lebanon continue to experience the direct and severe impacts of the conflict.

As is well known, we have communities in all the countries that are deeply affected by the military actions. In recent days, we have been able to establish contact with our Prelates and with diocesan and community leaders, from whom we have received the necessary information and to whom we have provided appropriate guidance. The safety and well-being of our communities remain our highest priority.

Armenian community members have consistently demonstrated exemplary citizenship, abiding by the laws of their respective countries and supporting efforts for justice and peace.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of all victims and wish a swift recovery to the wounded, as well as a safe return home for all the refugees.

We call upon the parties involved in the war to cease all military operations, to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of all countries in accordance with international law, and to pursue resolutions through dialogue. The establishment of a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on justice and mutual trust, must become an absolute priority for the international community and for the United Nations; otherwise, the region may find itself on the brink of new wars.

In the present circumstances, filled with unpredictable dangers, we urge our communities to remain vigilant and organized, to gather around our churches and community institutions, to follow the instructions of their state authorities, to avoid situations that may create insecurity, and to exercise caution in organizing intra-community gatherings. At the same time, we urge our community bodies to closely monitor the needs and difficulties of families and, when necessary, to provide assistance.

This is what the current dangerous situation in the region requires. It is necessary to closely follow new developments so that appropriate approaches and actions may be determined. Considering that our communities live in different environments, alongside general concerns, it is necessary to give special attention to the particular issues affecting each community, determining appropriate approaches for the respective communities.

The Catholicosate has placed all its available means at the service of our communities. At the same time, our prelacies in the Diaspora, as well as our organizations and benefactors, must be prepared, if necessary, to support our communities affected by the consequences of the war.

We pray for the peace and security of the Middle East, for mutual understanding among all peoples, and for the protection of our communities.

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