European nations denounce attacks on coalition in Iraq

By Cuneyt Karadag

BERLIN (AA) - Britain, France and Germany on Sunday condemned recent attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and called for a de-escalation in the region after the killing of Iran's most powerful military commander in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.

In a joint statement, they also called on all parties to “exercise utmost restraint and responsibility.”

“We condemn the recent attacks on coalition forces in Iraq and are gravely concerned by the negative role Iran has played in the region, including through the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps] and the Quds Force under the command of General [Qassem] Soleimani.

"We specifically call on Iran to refrain from further violent action or proliferation and urge Iran to reverse all measures inconsistent with the JCPOA," it added, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a nuclear deal signed between Iran and Russia, China, France, the U.K. and the U.S. plus Germany in 2015.

Iran announced earlier Sunday that it would no longer comply with any commitments under the accord.

Tensions have been rising between the U.S. and Iran since May 2018, when Washington unilaterally withdrew from the landmark deal.

- Killing of Soleimani

The U.S. confirmed Friday that it carried out a drone strike that killed Soleimani outside Baghdad International Airport. Also killed were Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, vice president of the Hashd al-Shaabi group, or Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).

Iran's leadership has vowed to revenge Soleimani's death, and President Hassan Rouhani said Soleimani’s assassination has doubled the resolve of Iranians to stand up to U.S. advances and defend Islamic values.

Soleimani was the long-time commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, which was designated a terrorist group by the U.S. The group is estimated to have 20,000 members.

Shortly after reports of the drone strike, U.S. President Donald Trump posted the U.S. flag on Twitter without comment.

Trump said Saturday on Twitter that if any Iranian retaliation strikes American targets or interests “we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!"

Concerns have mounted that should the U.S. strike Iranian cultural sites, that would be a war crime under international law. But Trump has been undeterred, reiterating the threat Sunday.

“They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn’t work that way,” he said.

The Pentagon accused Soleimani of planning to carry out attacks on U.S. diplomats and service members in Iraq and the region, saying he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans and coalition service members.

*Writing by Burak Dag