Monitor

Kurdistan Region Presidency, Iraqi leaders condemn Israeli airstrikes on Iran amid rising regional tensions

BAGHDAD — Leaders from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, along with several political and armed factions, condemned Israel’s airstrike on Iran early Saturday, highlighting concerns about escalating regional tensions.

The Kurdistan Region Presidency condemned the Israeli airstrike in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, calling for restraint. “We condemn the airstrikes that targeted Iran early this morning,” the statement read. “We call on all parties to exercise restraint and make every effort to prevent further escalation and tensions. Continued conflicts and its consequences threaten the stability of the entire region.”

Earlier, the Iraqi government denounced the Israeli strike, calling it an escalation of “aggressive policies” that risk widening the conflict.

Israel’s Defense Forces confirmed that dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets and refuelers, conducted strikes on military targets deep inside Iranian territory. Iran reported that the attack killed four soldiers, adding that some of the attacks were intercepted by its air defenses. The airstrike is part of rising tensions between the two nations, fueling concerns of further conflict.

Leaders of influential Iraqi factions reacted strongly to the attack. Abu Alaa Al-Walae, leader of Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, stated on X, “Experience has proven, at every stage of the battle, that the final strike, the last bullet, and the last word belong to the resistance fighters.”

Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali described the airstrike as a “blatant aggression” by what he termed the “usurping occupying entity.” He argued that the attack demonstrated Israel’s “fragility” and inability to withstand the Islamic resistance, adding, “It is yet another proof of its repeated violations of international laws and norms, which require a firm stance to deter these Zionist aggressors.”

Influential Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr also condemned the attack, describing it as a breach of Iran’s sovereignty. “[Israel’s] response, praise be to God, was weak, revealing the extent of the confusion and deep anxiety surrounding the entity and its supporters due to Iran’s steadfast stance on resistance,” Al-Sadr stated.