Following assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq, Egypt announced that it is following with great concern the rapid developments in Iraq, which portend an escalation that needs to be avoided, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.
The head of Iran's elite Quds Force, Soleimani was killed in a U.S. strike in Iraq on Friday.
The attack also killed top Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an adviser to Soleimani.
Soleimani survived several assassination attempts by Western, Israeli and Arab agencies over the past two decades.
“Egypt, therefore, calls for containing the situation and preventing any further escalation,” the statement read.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers that containment of the situation entails an immediate cessation of all types of regional interventions in the affairs of Arab states and its peoples, which only served to stoke pisions and tension among Arab nationals who eagerly aspire for peace and stability, according to the statement.
Three hours later, Saudi Arabia announced that “Riyadh has followed the events, in fraternal Iraq, which came as a result of the escalation of tensions and terrorist acts that Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has denounced and warned against, in the past, of their repercussions.”
“With knowledge of the operations and threats exposing the security of the region and the threats posed by terrorist militias that require their cessation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in light of the rapid developments, calls for the importance of self-restraint to ward off all acts that may lead to aggravating the situation, with unbearable consequences,” according to a statement, published by the Kingdom’s official news agency, SPA.
The statement affirmed that Saudi reaffirms that the international community must fulfill its responsibilities to take the necessary measures to ensure the security and stability of such a vital region, to the entire world.
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