The European Union, United Kingdom, Pakistan as well as many other countries of the world have reacted to Iran’s retaliation, following the killing of its military commander Qaseem Soleimani in Iraq on Friday, January 3.
President of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen appealed to the parties involved to call off the use of weapons to enable dialogue.
“The use of weapons must stop now to give space for dialogue,” she told reporters after a meeting of her commissioners”, she said.
Speaking on actions taken by the Union, she said “We are called upon to do everything possible to rekindle talks, there cannot be enough of that, we have established and time-tested relations with many actors in the region and beyond to de-escalate the situation,” the President added.
The United Kingdom pragmatically condemned the 22 missile launch on the US base in Iraq on Wednesday.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK urge ‘Iran not to repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks and instead to pursue urgent de-escalation’.
UK’s reaction is not too different from the comment of United Arab Emirate’s Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash who wrote on Twitter that ‘it is essential that the region pulls back from current troubling tensions’.
He added that De-escalation is both wise and necessary and a political path towards stability must follow.
Acting Prime Minister of New Zealand also advised that parties involved take a de-escalation toll even though he said the country’s military personnel in Iraq were not affected in the Iran attack on Wednesday.
According to a report, Pakistan had advised its citizens in the region to stay close to the Pakistani Embassy in Iran adding that those planning to visit the region should exercise maximum caution.
Defensive of the Middle East, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey is utilising all its diplomatic channels to ease tensions between its neighbour Iran and NATO ally, the US.
“At this critical period of war drums being played, we are trying to ease tensions, using all diplomacy channels,” Erdogan said.
He stated that no nation has the right to throw the Middle East region particularly Iraq into a ‘new ring of fire.
Erdogan added that Turkey does not want the region to be “a stage for proxy wars”.
In support of the killing of Soleimani, Isreal President, Benjamin Nethanyu affirmed his support for President Donald Trump’s warning, adding that he should be congratulated for the attack.
“President Trump should be congratulated for acting swiftly, boldly and resolutely against this terrorist-in-chief, who was the architect and driver of Iran’s campaign of terror throughout the Middle East and throughout the world,” he said in Jerusalem.
He also warned that whoever tries to attack Israel “will be dealt the strongest blow’.
He made this declaration following Iran’s threat to ‘turn Israel city into dust’.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94