Hamas urges Iran not to target neighbouring states in Middle East. Photo: Gemini.
The Iran-backed Islamist group Hamas has called on Iran to avoid targeting neighbouring states during the ongoing conflict, even as it reaffirmed Tehran’s right to defend itself against attacks by Israel and the United States.
The appeal is notable because Iran has long been one of Hamas’s most significant supporters, providing the Palestinian group with political, financial and military backing for decades.
In a statement, Hamas said that while it supports Iran’s right to retaliate, such actions should not involve neighbouring countries.
“While affirming the right of the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to this aggression by all available means in accordance with international norms and laws, the movement calls on the brothers in Iran to avoid targeting neighbouring countries.”
Since the beginning of the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, Iran has reportedly carried out missile and drone strikes targeting several Gulf countries.
Despite backing Tehran’s right to defend itself, Hamas emphasised that regional countries should not become targets in the escalating confrontation.
Iran has been a key patron of Hamas for decades, providing financial and military support to the group. Hamas is also considered part of the so-called “axis of resistance”, a regional network aligned with Tehran that also includes Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthis.
However, the alliance has been significantly weakened in recent years amid ongoing conflicts across the region.
Earlier in the conflict, Hamas strongly condemned the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, describing it as a “heinous crime.”
The group openly acknowledged Khamenei’s longstanding support for the Palestinian cause and the Hamas movement.
“He provided all forms of political, diplomatic and military support to our people, our cause, and our resistance,” the movement said shortly after Khamenei’s killing.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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