Britain will not lament death of Soleimani: PM Boris Johnson

Britain will t lament death of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday, though he warned that reprisals would le to greater violence.

United States killed top military leer Soleimani outside Baghd airport in a drone strike on Friday.

In his first intervention on escalation of tensions in Middle East, Johnson said he h spoken Sunday with US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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He said he would speak to or leers in coming days.

"General Qasem Soleimani posed a threat to all our interests and was responsible for a pattern of disruptive, destabilising behaviour in region," Johnson said in a statement.

"Given leing role he has played in actions that have led to deaths of thousands of incent civilians and Western personnel, we will t lament his death.

"It is clear however that all calls for retaliation or reprisals will simply le to more violence in region and y are in one's interest."

Johnson said that following ministerial meetings and furr international calls, MPs would be updated on situation on Tuesday.

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Meanwhile London has urged Baghd to allow international coalition soldiers to stay in Iraq, where parliament on Sunday pressed government to oust foreign troops.

cabinet would have to approve any such decision.

British troops are part of an international coalition of forces stationed in Iraq -- invited by government in Baghd in 2014 -- to help fight against Islamic State (IS) jihist group.

A British government spokesman said: " coalition is in Iraq to help protect Iraqis and ors from threat from Daesh (IS), at request of Iraqi government.

"We urge Iraqi government to ensure coalition is able to continue our vital work countering this shared threat." Some 5,200 US soldiers are stationed across Iraqi bases to support local troops preventing an IS resurgence. 

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