Amid joint U.S.–Israeli military actions targeting the political and military establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia issued a carefully worded diplomatic statement on March 1, expressing concern over the developments in the Middle East and calling for de-escalation:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East with attention and deep concern. We emphasize the importance of diplomatic efforts to achieve de-escalation and ensure stability in the region.”
The following day, on March 2, the Georgian Dream government released another statement, expressing solidarity with all parties involved in the conflict, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, and the Arab Gulf states, and reiterating its call for diplomacy and political dialogue:
“The Georgian government is monitoring the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East with deep concern, as they threaten the security and prosperity of all countries in the region.
We express our condolences to the Iranian people and the Islamic Republic of Iran, where the ongoing hostilities have claimed the lives of many individuals, including the Supreme Leader, other political leaders, innocent civilians, and dozens of children.
We also express our condolences to our friend, the Jewish people, and to Israel for the loss of civilian lives as a result of the hostilities.
The Georgian government expresses full solidarity with the Arab countries of the Gulf, with which Georgia has a special partnership.
We express hope that peace will be restored in the Middle East in the near future, and that hostilities will be replaced by diplomacy and political dialogue.”
However, the expression of solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran in these statements casts doubt on Georgian Dream’s pacifist calls. Ivanishvili’s party is publicly showcasing support for a terrorist regime whose repressions have claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people.
In parallel to Georgian Dream’s diplomatically framed and ostensibly pacifist statements, several Georgia-based organizations operating under direct state control issued statements expressing condolences over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
On March 1, the Administration of All Muslims of Georgia published a statement offering condolences to the Iranian people, as well as to the family and relatives of the Supreme Leader:
“As is known, Sayyid Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, was killed yesterday as a result of an attack on his office in Tehran. The Administration of All Muslims of Georgia expresses its condolences to his family, relatives, and the Iranian people.”
On the same day, the Sheikh of the Administration of All Muslims of Georgia, Faig Nabiev, posted a separate statement on his personal Facebook page, extending condolences to Khamenei’s family, the Iranian people, and Muslims worldwide:
“The news of the martyrdom of Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, a great scholar and Marjaʿ-i Taqlid, has plunged the entire Islamic world into deep sorrow. This is a tremendous spiritual loss not only for the Iranian people, but for the entire Muslim Ummah.”
Another statement, issued on behalf of the Administration of All Muslims of Georgia by Mirtagi Asadov, described Khamenei’s killing as a “grave and horrific loss” for the Islamic world. According to Asadov, “the enemies of humanity, child killers, and imperialist forces responsible for such acts must be held accountable under international law.”
Asadov’s statement received particular praise from the Iranian Embassy in Georgia, which, in a Facebook post published on March 2, expressed its ‘sincere gratitude’ to him.
It is particularly troubling that all individuals who publicly expressed solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran are affiliated with organizations under direct state control. Since 2011, the Administration of All Muslims of Georgia has operated as a Legal Entity under Public Law (LEPL). Faig Nabiev serves as its Sheikh and one of its senior officials. Mirtagi Asadov, who likewise publicly mourned Khamenei’s death, is the chairperson of another LEPL — the Supreme Religious Administration of Georgia’s All Muslims.
Since 2014, these organizations have been funded directly from the state budget. On January 16, 2026, Georgia’s State Agency for Religious Issues announced that it had allocated 4,150,000 GEL to the country’s Muslim community.
Notably, the Administration of All Muslims of Georgia maintains close ties with the Iranian Embassy in Georgia and individuals connected to the Islamic Republic of Iran. On February 17 of this year, Sheikh Faig Nabiev hosted Iran’s newly appointed ambassador to Georgia, Ali Moujani, extending his best wishes for success in his diplomatic mission. In 2025, representatives of the Administration also visited Iran, where they met with local clerics and representatives of Iranian charity organizations.
Thus, in response to the ongoing developments in the Middle East, Georgian Dream’s ‘neutral’ and ‘pacifist’ calls are overshadowed by its publicly declared support for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Statements from representatives of state-controlled organizations further point to the government’s covert pro-Iran stance. The positions expressed by these organizations once again underscore Georgian Dream’s tacit support and inaction regarding Iranian influence in Georgia.
