FO expresses deep concerns over developments in Middle East

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has viewed with deep concern the recent developments in the Middle East, which seriously threaten peace and stability in the region, said a press release of Foreign Office (FO) on Friday.

“Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity are the fundamental principles of the UN Charter, which should be adhered to. It is also important to avoid unilateral actions and use of force.”

“All parties are urged to exercise maximum restraint, engage constructively to de-escalate the situation, and resolve issues through diplomatic means, in accordance with UN Charter and international law,” it read.

Pentagon’s statement

The Pentagon said that Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, was killed early on Friday in a US airstrike on his convoy at Baghdad airport.

Top Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also killed in the attack, a militia spokesman said.

“This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans,” the Pentagon said in a statement. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards confirmed in a statement that Soleimani was killed.

Strikes had been carried out against two targets linked to Iran in Baghdad on Thursday, US officials earlier told Reuters.

Iraqi paramilitary groups said on Friday that three rockets hit Baghdad International Airport, killing five members of Iraqi paramilitary groups and two “guests”.

The rockets landed near the air cargo terminal, burning two vehicles, killing and injuring several people.

Zarif’s response

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday the assassination of Iran Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani was, “an extremely dangerous and foolish escalation.”

“The US bears responsibility for all consequences of its rogue adventurism,” he said in a post on Twitter.

Soleimani, who has led the foreign arm of the Revolutionary Guards and has had a key role in fighting in Syria and Iraq, acquired celebrity status at home and abroad.

Soleimani became head of the Quds Force in 1998, a position in which he kept a low profile for years while he strengthened Iran’s ties with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.