[9][10][11][12][13] On 8 November, Kadhimi's office released a statement that the perpetrators were the same people who assassinated Nibras Farman, an agent for the Iraqi National Intelligence Service.

Just two days before the attack occurred, supporters of pro-Iranian groups tried to storm the Green Zone, throwing stones at the local security forces, who responded by firing tear gas at them and shooting in the air to disperse the crowd (resulting in the death of one to two demonstrators),[18][19] heating up tensions between Iraq's political movements.

[13] Two former and one current United States Defense officials expressed doubt that the assassination attempt was directly the fault of Iran, but did agree the attack was most likely committed by Shi'ite militias.

[28] Two writers for the Jean Jaures Society expressed worries that the strike could "plunge back" Iraq "into chaos in a highly flammable regional and internal context".

Sadr, who had himself gained significant progress during the October elections,[17] called for the Popular Mobilization Forces to "disband," expressing condemnation of efforts by both Iran and the United States to involve themselves in Iraq's affairs.

Abu Ali al-Askari, a prominent figure in Kata'ib Hezbollah, charged Sadr with hypocrisy for failing to disarm his own group, Saraya al-Salam.

[10] Several prominent Shi'ite militia leaders, including Askari and Qais Khazali, dismissed the attack as a fraud, arguing that it was an inside job by the Iraqi government.