Published 18:58 IST, January 4th 2020
UK advises citizens to avoid travelling to Iran, Iraq after Soleimani's killing
Britain issued an advisory for its citizens, on December 4, to not visit Iraq and Iran in the aftermath the head of Iran’s elite Quds Forces Soleimani’s killing
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Britain issued an advisory for its citizens, on December 4, to not visit Iraq and Iran in the aftermath of the killing of the head of Iran’s elite Quds Forces General Qassem Soleimani. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab alerted UK nationals regarding the heightened tensions in the Middle Eastern countries and advised British people who are in the region to remain vigilant and monitor the media carefully.
“The first job of any government is to keep British people safe. Given heightened tensions in the region, the FCO now advise people not to travel to Iraq, with the exception of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and to consider carefully whether it’s essential to travel to Iran. We will keep this under review,” said the Foreign Secretary in a statement.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) also released an advisory saying people should embark only on an essential journey to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It urged British nationals to consider leaving Iraq by commercial means saying the security situation throughout Iraq remains uncertain and could deteriorate quickly.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had informed that he discussed with UK Foreign Secretary the necessity to take defensive action and “eliminate” Qassem Soleimani. “Thankful that our allies recognize the continuing aggressive threats posed by the Iranian Quds Force. The U.S. remains committed to de-escalation,” tweeted Pompeo on December 3.
'Sinister attack planned'
After Soleimani’s death, Trump said that the United States terminated him because he was plotting “imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel”. In a televised briefing, he added that Iran’s top commander made the death of innocent people his “sick passion”, contributing to terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London. The US President emphasised that under his leadership, ISIS territorial caliphate was destroyed and their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed by American Special Operations Forces.
In Iran, there has been an outpouring of grief over the death of Soleimani, who was pivotal to Iran’s covert operations in the Middle East. Iran’s Supreme Leader vowed to exact “severe revenge for the criminals who bloodied their foul hands with his blood”. The escalation has led to a surge in fuel prices and experts suggested that the Middle East will be bracing tougher days ahead.
18:58 IST, January 4th 2020