Iraqi sources have revealed new information regarding the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and the circumstances leading up to it. A senior political source, as reported by Asharq Al-Awsat, indicated that initial data suggests that the party behind the planning and execution of the operation "did not intend to send warning messages to al-Kadhimi, but rather to assassinate him." According to the information, the group that attempted to assassinate al-Kadhimi, whoever it may be, tried to exploit the constitutional gap caused by the lack of ratification of the election results and the absence of an elected parliament. The senior political source stated, "We have no doubts that the assassination attempt is a final liquidation of the results of last October's elections."
Conversely, another source disclosed that preliminary investigations into the assassination attempt indicated, through satellite images, the entry of a shipment of drones into the country a month prior to the attack, suggesting the possibility of other targeting attempts, and also refuting the widely circulated narrative that the drones and their bombs were locally made.
It appears that the ongoing investigations and their findings allow al-Kadhimi to pursue those responsible for the planning and execution of the assassination attempt; however, the senior political source spoke of "difficult and devastating options" that the situation in the country could entail "if we go toward confrontation." The source added that al-Kadhimi has decided on the necessity of ensuring a "safe passage" for the judicial ratification of the election results, "without being drawn into a conflict that opens a wide door to chaos."
American military officials confirmed on Saturday that it is likely that Iran did not order the drone strike on Iraqi Prime Minister al-Kadhimi's residence last week. They noted that Tehran has been losing control over Shiite groups in Baghdad since the assassination of Qassem Soleimani in early 2020 in an American airstrike, but they also pointed out that "it is almost certain that Iranian-backed Shiite militias are behind the targeting of the Iraqi Prime Minister," according to NBC. Security officials and sources close to armed Iraqi factions revealed that the attack was carried out by a group supported by Iran.
