The Palestinian armed group Hamas has issued a rare appeal to its key ally Iran, calling for a halt to attacks on Gulf states. In an official statement, the group urged its "brothers in Iran to avoid targeting neighbouring countries", emphasizing that all regional nations should cooperate "to preserve the bonds of brotherhood". This move highlights growing tensions within Iran's network of allies as regional conflicts escalate.

Simultaneously, Hamas, which governs Gaza, affirmed Tehran's right to defend itself against ongoing strikes by the US and Israeli regimes. Iranian authorities claim their retaliatory drone and missile strikes target "American installations" on Gulf soil rather than the neighbours themselves, but numerous attacks have impacted civilian infrastructure over the past two weeks, causing significant disruption and casualties across the region.

Hamas stated on Saturday that it had been monitoring the war with "deep concern" and called upon "all states and international organisations to work towards halting [the war] immediately". Iran has not publicly commented on this appeal. So far, at least 18 people have been killed in the region, mostly security personnel or foreign workers, with six deaths reported in the United Arab Emirates and six in Kuwait, along with two each in Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.

Iran is Hamas's primary backer in terms of funding, weapons, and political support, and the group is a member of Tehran's "axis of resistance". However, Turkey and Qatar, which have also faced recent Iranian attacks, provide substantial financial and political assistance to Hamas. Following a devastating two-year war in Gaza, a US-imposed ceasefire took effect last October, but negotiations over subsequent phases of the deal continue, with both sides accusing each other of near-daily violations, underscoring the fragile nature of the truce.

Source: www.bbc.com