The United Kingdom has reacted to an airstrike ordered by US President Donald Trump that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani late Thursday.
The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, warned President Trump against an outright war, noting that further conflict is not in the interest of the United Kingdom.
An adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US had crossed a “red line,” and the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned of “harsh retaliation.”
A statement authorized by the secretary noted that while the UK “recognised the aggressive threat posed by the Iranian Quds force led by Qasem Soleimani,” it urged “all parties to de-escalate.”
He added that “further conflict is in none of our interests.”
The UK and other allies were not informed in advance about the US’s decision to assassinate Soleimani, BuzzFeed News reported.
Tom Tugendhat, the chair of Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told the BBC that it was a “matter of concern” that the information had been withheld from US allies.
He urged the United States to share much more closely with allies, particularly those who are fighting alongside it in the Middle East.”
The US government believes Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of US service members and insisted he was planning additional attacks that threatened US personnel and interests in the region.
“This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans,” the Department of Defense said.
