In a statement, the Palestinian Islamist movement said it supported Iran’s right to respond to what it described as aggression but appealed to Tehran to avoid military actions that could draw additional countries into the conflict.

“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 neighboring countries,” Hamas said. The statement marked the group’s first public appeal of this nature directed at Tehran.

Hamas also called on the international community to work toward an immediate end to the war that has engulfed the region since late February.

The group previously condemned the killing of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, on the first day of the conflict, describing it as a “heinous crime” and crediting him with providing political, diplomatic and military backing to the Palestinian movement over many years.

Despite facing U.S. and Israeli military pressure, Iran has launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes that have reached at least 10 countries since the start of the conflict, according to statements cited by Hamas.

Authorities in Qatar said two missiles were intercepted on Saturday after explosions were heard in the capital Doha, prompting evacuations in parts of the city.

Meanwhile, NATO forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran in the airspace of Turkiye on Friday, Turkish officials said.

The conflict has also intensified along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where the Iran-aligned group Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets at Israel shortly after the war began. Lebanese authorities say nearly 800 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the escalation.

Iran has long been one of Hamas’s principal backers, with analysts estimating that Tehran provided the movement with tens of millions of dollars annually.

Under Khamenei, support for Palestinian groups formed a central element of Iran’s regional strategy against Israel and its allies. Several Sunni-majority states have also maintained ties with Hamas, including Qatar, which has funded humanitarian and reconstruction programs in Gaza, and Turkiye, which has provided political and diplomatic support under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Qatar has hosted Hamas’s political leadership in Doha, enabling the group to maintain international contacts and participate in mediation and negotiation efforts related to Gaza.

Wong said several nations that were not directly involved in the conflict had come under Iranian attack during the widening Middle East confrontation and had sought help from partners including Australia.“We’ve had many countries, which are non participants, (that) have been attacked by Iran through this,” Wong said in televised remarks. “You would anticipate as a consequence that we have been asked for assistance, and we will work through that carefully.”The comments came as fighting intensified across the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli strikes on targets in Iran and retaliatory Iranian attacks against countries hosting U.S. military facilities.Limited military roleWong said Australia would examine requests for assistance in line with its existing position that it would not join offensive military operations against Iran.Asked whether Australia could help defend countries targeted by Iranian missile and drone strikes, Wong responded: “Correct.”She said any support would be considered carefully and would remain consistent with the government’s policy of avoiding direct involvement in combat operations inside Iran.“We will work through that in accordance with the position that I have outlined, which is we are not participating in offensive action against Iran and we have made clear we will not participate in any ground troop deployment,” Wong said.Australia, a longstanding ally of the United States and a member of several regional security partnerships, has previously contributed forces to international missions in the Middle East but has ruled out sending troops in the current conflict.Australian personnel and naval incidentPrime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that three Australian defence personnel had been on board a U.S. submarine that sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo in the Indian Ocean.Albanese stressed that the Australians present during the incident did not take part in the attack itself.The disclosure came as the military confrontation between Iran and a U.S.-Israeli coalition escalated sharply over the past week, drawing in multiple countries across the Gulf region.U.S. and Israeli aircraft have conducted strikes across Iranian territory, while several Gulf cities, including locations in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, have come under Iranian bombardment.Australians stranded in regionThe escalating conflict has also disrupted commercial flights and regional travel, leaving thousands of Australians stranded in parts of the Middle East.Wong said the government was working with airlines and other authorities to assist citizens attempting to leave affected areas.Australia’s foreign ministry has been monitoring the security situation across the region and coordinating efforts to help nationals return home safely as hostilities continue.The crisis has increased pressure on governments globally to respond to the widening conflict while balancing security commitments, diplomatic relations and the safety of their citizens abroad.

.The message was conveyed to Tehran ahead of remarks on Saturday by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who apologised to Gulf states for recent Iranian actions that have heightened regional tensions.Two days earlier, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and outlined Riyadh’s position, according to the sources. Saudi Arabia said it favours a diplomatic settlement to Iran’s conflict with the United States but warned that further attacks on Saudi territory or energy facilities could compel the kingdom to respond.The sources said Prince Faisal stressed that Riyadh remained open to mediation efforts aimed at de-escalation and a negotiated resolution to the crisis. He also underlined that neither Saudi Arabia nor other Gulf states had allowed the United States to use their airspace or territory to conduct strikes on Iran.However, the minister cautioned that if Iranian strikes continued against Saudi territory or critical energy infrastructure, Riyadh could permit U.S. forces to use their bases for operations and would consider retaliatory measures.Saudi and Iranian foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The warning comes amid heightened regional tensions following drone and missile strikes launched by Iran against several Gulf states over the past week.Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain have all been targeted by attacks linked to Tehran, according to the sources. The strikes followed the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war that erupted after U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran.Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab states that host U.S. military facilities, while Israel has also targeted Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group as part of the expanding conflict.

Despite the escalating violence, diplomatic channels between Riyadh and Tehran remain open. The sources said Saudi Arabia has maintained regular contact with Iranian officials through its ambassador since the U.S. and Israeli campaign against Iran began on Feb. 28 following the collapse of negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme.Araqchi said in an interview on Saturday that he had remained in constant communication with Prince Faisal and other Saudi officials. He said Riyadh had assured Tehran it would not allow its territory, waters or airspace to be used for attacks on Iran.In his remarks, Pezeshkian said Iran’s temporary leadership council had approved a suspension of attacks on neighbouring countries unless those states were used as a launch point for strikes against Iran.The apology appeared aimed at easing tensions with Gulf governments concerned about the risk of the conflict spreading further across the region and threatening energy infrastructure and shipping routes.The exchanges highlight the delicate position faced by Gulf states seeking to avoid deeper involvement in the conflict while balancing security ties with Washington and growing regional instability.