BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th January, 2020) The escalation of tensions in Iraq after the US killing of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, puts the stability of the entire middle Eastern region in jeopardy, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
In the earlier hours of Friday, Soleimani was killed by a US drone attack near the Baghdad International Airport. US President Donald Trump said Washington took preemptive action against Soleimani to "stop a war." An adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, however, said the United States crossed a "red line" with the attack, while Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned that a "harsh retaliation is waiting" for the United States.
"The current cycle of violence in Iraq must be stopped before it spirals out of control. The EU calls on all the actors involved and on those partners who can have an influence to exercise maximum restraint and show responsibility in this crucial moment. Another crisis risks jeopardizing years of efforts to stabilize Iraq. Furthermore, the ongoing escalation threatens the whole region, which has suffered immensely and whose populations deserve life in peace," Borrell said in a statement on Friday.
The top EU diplomat called on all the involved parties to engage in dialogue to stabilize the situation.
"More dialogue and efforts to enhance mutual understanding are necessary to offer long term solutions to the stabilization of the Middle East. The EU stands ready to continue its engagement with all sides in order to contribute to defusing tensions and reverse the dynamics of the conflict," Borrell added.
The Friday strikes also killed Iraqi Shia militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and 10 other people.
