- Iran vows retaliation for strike
- US tells citizens to depart Iraq immediately
- Russia offers “condolences” to Iranians after strike
- China calls for the US to show “restraint
Events are moving fast, following the killing of Qasem Soleimani, Iranian top military commander in Iraq by the United State forces, leading some to suggest that if not handled with care war could break out in the Middle East. Soleimani was killed on New Year’s Eve only miles away from Bagdad’s Green Zone, home to government buildings and the US Embassy, which was attacked by protesters on New Year’s Eve.
Soleimani was head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, an elite unit that handles Iran’s overseas operations — and one deemed to be a foreign terrorist organization by the US.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in his first reaction to the death of top military commander Qasem Soleimani said the strike was a “cowardly act” and “another sign of America’s frustration and helplessness in the region.”
Rouhani, like other top Iran officials, also vowed retaliation for his death. “Undoubtedly, the great nation of Iran and other free nations of the region will take revenge for this terrible crime by the criminal Americans,” he said in a public statement published by Iran’s official news agency.
In a swift reaction the US State Department has urged its citizens in Iraq to depart “immediately” due to “heightened tensions” in the region.
It has also sent more troupes to the region to bolster her defense capabilities.
Its statement also told citizens to stay away from the US Embassy in Iraq, which was stormed by pro-Iranian protesters on Tuesday.
The French government has also warned its citizens to stay away from any gatherings in Iran. A statement on the French Embassy’s website on Friday advised them to stay “prudent and discreet.”
It also recommends people do not take pictures in public spaces.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has said the US airstrike will lead to growing tensions in the Middle East and issued condolences to the Iranian people, according to Russian state-run news agency TASS.
“We consider Soleimani’s murder in a US missile strike in the suburbs of Baghdad an adventurous step that will lead to growing tensions throughout the region,” a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS in a statement.
The Chinese government has called for calm in the Middle East, in its first reaction to the US airstrike that killed Qasem Soleimani.
Geng Shuang, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said at a daily briefing: “We attach high importance to the recent incidents. China has always opposed the use of forces in the international relations, and advocates that all parties should practically abide by the purpose and principle of UN Charter and basic norm of international relations.”
