Mogherini warns against escalation of tensions in ME

Tehran, Jan 3, IRNA - Former EU foreign policy chief reacted to the US recent terrorist operation in Iraq which resulted in assassinating IRGC's Quds Force Commander Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani and warned against escalation of tensions in the Middle East. "An extremely dangerous escalation in the #MiddleEast," Former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini wrote on her Twitter account. "Hope that those who still believe in wisdom and rationality will prevail, that some of the diplomatic achievements of the past will be preserved, and that a major scale confrontation will be avoided," she added. Meanwhile earlier, Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt in a message termed the assassination of IRGC commander as limiting the scope of diplomacy. "With Iraq turned into a battlefield between US and Iran the already fragile state of Iraq will be weakened and the room for Daesh and other terrorist organizations will in all probability increase," Bildt wrote on his Twitter account. "Let’s not forget that the EU worked diplomatically for more than a decade to prevent a war between the US and Iran over primarily the nuclear issue," he added. "And efforts have continued also in the difficult Trump era," he said adding, "But now the scope for diplomacy is probably extremely limited." Senior commander of the IRGC's Quds Forces Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani was martyred in a terrorist operation in Baghdad Friday morning. Iraqi media quoted official resources as saying that Lieutenant General Soleimani and acting Commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), known as the Hash al-Shaabi, Abu Mahdi Al-Mohandes, who were separately leaving Baghdad airport in two cars were targeted and assassinated on Friday morning. Following martyrdom of Lieutenant General Soleimani, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei declared three days of mourning on Friday. He also appointed Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani as the successor of Lieutenant General Soleimani as the Commander of the IRGC Quds Force. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish