Iraq says Hamas chief killing could threaten region’s stability

BAGHDAD – Iraq on Wednesday condemned the killing in Tehran of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, warning that it threatens the region’s stability.

Iraq’s foreign ministry in a statement described the killing as a “flagrant violation of international law and a threat to security and stability in the region”.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, influential Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr paid tribute to Haniyeh, describing him as a “unique martyr and brave Mujahid (fighter),” who dedicated his life to “combating the Zionist enemy for the liberation of the entire occupied Palestinian land.”

Al-Sadr drew parallels between the assassination of Haniyeh and Imam Hussein, the grandson of the prophet. “This victory of blood over terrorism echoes the victory of the blood of their leader, Imam Hussein, over the tyrannical Umayyad sword,” he stated, using the term “terrorism” to describe Israel.

The Al-Nujaba movement, part of a pro-Iran alliance in Iraq, said “the Zionists and Americans have opened the doors of hell” following the killing if Haniyeh, the targeting of a Hezbollah commander in Beirut, and a U.S. strike on pro-Iran combatants in Iraq.

These “assassinations… will not deter us, but strengthen our determination”, it added.

In recent months, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of pro-Iran groups including Al-Nujaba, has claimed to have targeted Israel with drone and rocket strikes against targets.

The Israeli army, without naming an attacker, has confirmed several aerial attacks from the east since April, but has said they were all intercepted before entering its airspace.

The alliance had also claimed attacks on U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq for more than three months, as regional tensions soared over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, before suspending them in late January.

Ammar Al-Hakim, leader of the Hikma Movement, has condemned the assassination of Haniyeh. A statement from Al-Hakim’s office declared solidarity with the Palestinian people. “We join our oppressed and patient Palestinian people and the Palestinian resistance movements in mourning the martyrdom of Dr. Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by the treacherous hand of Israel,” the statement read.

Al-Hakim described such actions by Israel as “criminal acts” that will not weaken the resolve of the Palestinian people. “These criminal practices of the occupying entity are too weak to deter our Palestinian people from continuing their rightful path towards victory for their just cause,” he stated. Al-Hakim concluded by urging the international community to take action against “the Israeli occupation.”

Hamas said Wednesday that Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli strike in Iran, where he was attending the swearing-in of the newly-elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, and vowed the act “will not go unanswered”.

The strike came after Israel hit a Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut on Tuesday, targeting a senior commander of the Lebanese militant group — his fate remains unknown.

Last night, U.S. forces carried out a “defensive” air strike on pro-Iran Iraqi fighters who were attempting to launch drones that were deemed a threat to American and allied troops, a U.S. official said.

The strike — which Iraqi sources said left at least four people dead — was the first by American forces in Iraq since February.

The Popular Mobilization Forces called for the “immediate withdrawal” of U.S. troops from Iraq. The anticipated statement cited ongoing violations of Iraqi sovereignty. “Day after day, the forces of evil and arrogance continue to violate our sovereignty and shed blood through blatant attacks,” the statement read.

The timing of the attack coincided with the assassination of Hamas leader. The PMF linked these events to a broader “enemy plan” to destabilize the region. “The simultaneous nature of this assault with the criminal act carried out by the usurping entity in the assassination of our brother, the martyr leader Ismail Haniyeh, reveals the enemies’ plans to ignite the region and expand the circle of war and aggression,” the statement noted.

Reporting by AFP and 964media