Cardinal Sako warns of Nineveh bombing and exodus of Christians from Iraq

Cardinal Louis Raphaël I Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, in a series of interviews given in early March 2026, has raised the alarm about the threat of a new exodus of Christians from Iraq. The direct cause of these fears are statements by Turkish leaders suggesting the possibility of a military operation in northern Iraq, in the Nineveh region, which is the historical cradle of Christianity in the country. „We are afraid of the bombing of Nineveh. No one is safe.” — Cardinal Louis Raphaël I Sako The hierarch emphasized that the community, which has only just begun to rebuild its life after years of persecution and tactical occupation by the Islamic State, cannot withstand another shock. The Christian presence in the territory of modern-day Iraq dates back to the first centuries AD. Chaldean, Assyrian, and Syriac communities have for centuries been an integral part of Mesopotamian society. In the 20th century, their numbers began to decline sharply due to conflicts and persecution, and the real blow was the US invasion in 2003 and the subsequent rise of terrorism, which forced hundreds of thousands to flee. The Iraqi government reacted to these reports. Government spokesman Basim al-Awadi, in an official statement, criticized the "provocative" remarks by Turkish officials and stressed that Iraq "will not allow its territory to become an arena for games and conflicts." Baghdad called on all parties to respect its sovereignty and avoid actions that could further destabilize the region. The Vatican news service Vatican News, reporting the cardinal's words, placed them in the broader context of escalating tensions in the Middle East. It was emphasized that the conflict poses a growing threat to all religious minorities, and Christians, as a particularly vulnerable group, need international protection. ponad 1,5 miliona — Christians lived in Iraq before 2003 The situation in Nineveh is particularly sensitive. This region, with cities such as Mosul and Karakosh, was under the control of the so-called Islamic State from 2014 to 2017, which carried out religious purges there. Only recently have some refugees begun returning to their homes. Cardinal Sako fears that any new military operation, even if directed against Kurdish PKK groups, will lead to chaos and new casualties among the civilian population, including Christians. He stated plainly that in the face of such a threat, "no one is safe." His statement reflects deep anxiety about the physical survival of one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.