Iranian supreme leader Seyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday expressed grief over the bloodshed in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, the official IRNA News Agency reported. "I extend condolences of the Iranian nation to the Iraqi nation," Khamenei was quoted as saying. 

"The occupying powers have caused black and heart-rending tragedy in the Iraqi holy city," Khamenei said.

"The vents in Najaf indicated that the Americans have decided to continue using force against Iraqi civilians. But, it is a mistake. It will absolutely fail and will cause deep gap between the Muslim world and the occupiers," Khamenei added.

Khamenei also noted the importance of Najaf to Muslims, saying that Najaf has a 1,000-year history and has been the center for training eminent religious leaders for several centuries. "But, the occupiers have violated all the humanitarian criteria in the face of opposition of the international community, on the one hand, and are ignoring the sanctity of Imam Ali Shrine, on the other," he said.

US-backed Iraqi forces recently launched several attacks upon radical Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr's military sites in Najaf and took closer positions around the sacred Imam Ali Shrine.

(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2004)