Published 11:32 IST, January 4th 2020
UN Chief says 'world cannot afford another Gulf war' after US kills Soleimani
UN chief raised concerns about the soaring tension between Tehran and Washington after the latter killed the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force Qassem Solemani.
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised concerns about the soaring tension between Tehran and Washington after the latter killed the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani. UN spokesperson for Guterres, in a statement, said that the secretary-general has consistently advocated for de-escalation in the Gulf.
“This is a moment in which leaders must exercise maximum restraint. The world cannot afford another war in the Gulf,” the statement read.
On January 3, the United States announced that it killed Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad’s international airport. The two countries have been at loggerheads for a long time, but Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran followed by crippling sanctions did no help to pacify the tension.
The recent attack by Iran-back militia killed several services members including an American contractor, to which the United States retaliated with airstrikes killing 25 fighters of the Iran-backed militia in Iraq, the Kataeb Hezbollah. It led to outrage among pro-Iran voices and protesters entered high-security US embassy in Baghdad and vandalised the building. US President Donald Trump reacted sharply to the incident and threatened Iran that they will pay a “big price”.
....Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019
'Planning imminent and sinister attacks'
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” but Trump, in a tacit invitation for negotiation, tweeted, "Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!" The escalation has led to a surge in fuel prices and experts suggested that the Middle East will be bracing tougher days ahead.
11:32 IST, January 4th 2020