Hamas urges Iran to stop 'targeting neighbouring countries'

GAZA CITY - Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Saturday called on Iran to refrain from targeting neighbouring countries, while affirming Tehran's right to defend itself against Israel and the United States.

In a rare appeal, Hamas also urged the international community to take steps to end the war that has gripped the Middle East since it began on 28 February.

"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," Hamas said in a statement - its first such public appeal to Tehran.

Hamas, which fought a devastating two-year war with Israel in Gaza, also called on the international community to "work towards halting" the ongoing war immediately.

The group previously condemned the killing of Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the war as a "heinous crime", openly acknowledging his longstanding support for the Palestinian movement.

"He provided all forms of political, diplomatic and military support to our people, our cause, and our resistance," the movement said soon after the killing of Khamenei.

A Hamas official told AFP that the movement has been in contact with Iranian officials over the issue.

"The Israeli occupation seeks to sow discord between Iran and its Arab and Islamic neighbours," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the media.

"Hamas's leadership has also reached out to officials in several countries, including Qatar, Turkey, and Iraq, urging them to work towards halting the American and Zionist aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added.

Despite facing superior US and Israeli firepower, Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks against at least 10 countries.

Qatar said it intercepted two missiles on Saturday, after blasts were heard in the capital Doha and authorities said they had evacuated some areas.

Hamas's appeal to Iran comes as its ally, the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, has once again thrown itself into the conflict, firing hundreds of rockets at Israel in the immediate aftermath of the war's outbreak.

Hezbollah entered the fighting after Khamenei's killing, and since then Israeli strikes have killed nearly 800 people in Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry.

QATAR, TURKEY TARGETED

Hamas's appeal for Iran to stop targeting regional states is notable, given that Tehran has long been one of the group's most important backers.

Analysts estimate that Iran provided Hamas with tens of millions of dollars annually.

Under the late Khamenei, Iran viewed support for Palestinian groups such as Hamas as a central pillar of its regional strategy against Israel and its allies.

Several Sunni-majority states have also maintained ties with Hamas, especially Qatar and Turkey.

Qatar has been a key financial supporter linked to Gaza during Hamas' rule, with much of its funding described as humanitarian or reconstruction aid -covering civil servant salaries, fuel, and infrastructure.

Critics argue that because Hamas governed all of Gaza until the war began in the Palestinian territory after 7 October 2023, some of this assistance indirectly bolstered the group’s political authority.

Qatar has also hosted Hamas’s political leadership in Doha, which has allowed the group to maintain international contacts and participate in negotiations and mediation efforts.

Turkey, meanwhile, has provided mainly political and diplomatic backing rather than large-scale direct funding.

Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara has supported Hamas rhetorically and has hosted visits by its leaders.

On Friday, Turkey said a ballistic missile fired from Iran had been shot down in Turkish airspace by NATO forces.