Armenian Church leaders have addressed the escalating crisis in Iran and the wider Middle East following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader and growing regional instability, with His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, holding a series of phone consultations with Armenian community leaders across the region while His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, issued condolences to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and voiced concern over military attacks against Iran.
His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, has described the security of Armenian communities in the Middle East as an urgent priority.
On March 3, 2026, Aram I spoke with Hovsep Avetian, a Tehran-based member of the Political Assembly of the National Central Administration, who briefed him on the current situation in Iran and the condition of the local Armenian community. According to the information provided, there have been no Armenian casualties, though minor material damage has been reported.
Diocesan and community leaders are closely monitoring developments, while youth groups have been patrolling Armenian neighborhoods to offer assistance to families if needed.
The Catholicos also contacted Archbishop Mesrop Sarkissian, Primate of the Armenian Diocese of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, who reported that there have been no casualties or damages among Armenians in those regions. Contact was likewise established with diocesan and community leaders in Kuwait, where the Armenian community has not suffered any losses.
The statement noted that an atmosphere of insecurity, uncertainty, and concern prevails across the region. Armenian educational institutions remain closed, with classes being conducted online. Aram I urged community leaders to take all necessary measures to keep Armenian communities out of harm’s way and to address their needs.
He also spoke with Vartkes Mahdessian, the Armenian community’s state representative in Cyprus, to learn more about the recent attack on a British military base on the island.
Under his chairmanship, a special online session of the National Central Administration was convened to discuss the situation in the Middle East and explore possible avenues of support for Armenian communities. The Catholicosate emphasized that Aram I will continue to closely follow developments affecting Armenian communities in various regions.
Meanwhile, a message from His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, was published by the Embassy of Iran in Armenia, in which he expressed condolences over the martyrdom of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, senior Iranian officials, and citizens, and wished the Iranian people a peaceful and secure life.
