Iran’s foreign minister says early Sunday’s assassination attempt against Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was aimed at disturbing peace in the Arab country.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone call with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, during which he conveyed Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi’s greetings to the Iraqi prime minister and expressed happiness that al-Kadhimi is in good health.
The attempt on the Iraqi prime minister’s life is a step against stability and security in the friendly country of Iraq, which has been taken by Iraq’s ill-wishers, Iran’s top diplomat said.
The Iraqi foreign minister, for his part, outlined the latest developments pertaining to the assassination attempt and thanked the Iranian president on behalf of al-Kadhimi.
Husain said no one has been killed in the incident and an investigation has been launched into the matter.
A drone laden with explosives allegedly targeted al-Kadhimi’s residence in Baghdad’s heavily-fortified Green Zone following which the Iraqi prime minister said he was unhurt while appealing for “calm and restraint.”
A statement released by the Security Media Cell, affiliated with the Iraqi prime minister’s office, said al-Kadhimi was subjected to an unsuccessful assassination attempt with a booby-trapped drone early Sunday.
The statement said the prime minister was “unharmed” and “in good health.”
‘Investigation cmte. must probe al-Kadhimis assassination attempt’
In another development on Sunday, the Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee, condemned the attack on the premier's residence, calling for the establishment of an investigation committee consisting of experts from the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Sha’abi.
The statement emphasized that the attack was incompatible with “our enthusiasm for the reconstruction of Iraq” following the fall of dictatorship in 2003.
“We have offered scores of martyrs to protect and defend this country,” the Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee added.
The statement continued by saying that the perpetrators of the attack seek to change the rules of the game, adding that the committee still calls for a fair probe into the main protagonists instigating deadly clashes with security forces during a peaceful demonstration in Baghdad on Friday, which led to death of a number of demonstrators.
It warned against measures taken to confuse the Iraqi people and make them forget about vote rigging in the recent parliamentary elections.
The Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee also announced that it would use all peaceful and legal means guaranteed by the Iraqi Constitution to reclaim its rights.
The Iraqi capital and a number of major cities have been tense over the past few days as several political factions and their supporters have rejected the October 10 elections results as “fraudulent.”
A total of 329 seats were up for grab in the elections. More than 3,240 candidates were running, including 950 women. According to the preliminary results, the Fatah Alliance won 14 seats; it had garnered 48 in the 2018 vote.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah “firmly condemns” attack on al-Kadhimi’s residence
In a related development, Lebanese’s Hezbollah resistance movement issued a statement on Sunday, firmly condemning the attack on the residence of the Iraqi prime minister, while congratulating him on surviving the assault.
Hezbollah urged the Iraqi authorities to conduct an accurate and thorough investigation into the attack to unveil its circumstances, culprits and purposes.
Hezbollah also called on the Iraqi authorities to spare no effort in order to prevent further sedition, maintain security and stability, and address political differences through wisdom and dialogue.
The statement urged all Iraqi groups to find peaceful solutions to their differences and thwart all plots hatched to harm Iraq in favor of its enemies.
Syria strongly condemns attack on Iraqi premier’s residence
Meanwhile, the government of Syria strongly condemned the attack on the residence of Iraq’s prime minister on Sunday.
According to Syria’s official SANA news agency, an official source at the country’s Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said Damascus strongly condemned the "terrorist attack" that targeted the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister al-Kadhimi.
The source also reiterated and reaffirmed Syria’s stance against terrorism, adding that Damascus hopes peace, stability and prosperity would prevail in Iraq.