Iran-allied Iraqi political bloc says Tehran had a right to respond -Iraqi state news agency

An Iraqi political alliance backed by Iran said on Wednesday that Washington's killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis gave Tehran the right to respond, the Iraqi state news agency said. "The American aggression provided justification for the Iranian response," the Fatih alliance representing mostly Iran-backed Shi'ite militia leaders in parliament said, according to the agency. The alliance holds the second-largest number of seats in the assembly.

"Washington insists on making Iraq the battlefield for its conflict with Iran," it said. Iran launched missiles at U.S.-led forces in Iraq early on Wednesday, retaliating for the U.S. drone strike on the Iranian commander whose killing last week stoked fears of a new Middle East war.