By Hasan Esen
LONDON (AA) – The British Foreign Office issued Saturday advice against all but essential travel to Iran and Iraq in the wake of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani’s killing in a U.S. airstrike.
Advising its citizens not to travel to Iran if not necessary, it also called on British citizens in the country to be cautious and keep up to date with the developments.
The same warning was issued for Iraq, excluding its northern parts.
The U.S. confirmed early Friday that it killed Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad.
The attack came amid heightened tensions after thousands of Iran-backed protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday.
Soleimani's death marked a dramatic escalation in tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which have often been at a fever pitch since President Donald Trump chose in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw Washington from a 2015 nuclear pact world powers struck with Tehran.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who gave Soleimani the country's highest honor last year, vowed "severe retaliation" in response to his killing.
Soleimani was the long-time commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, which was designated a terror group by the U.S. The group is estimated to have 20,000 members.
Khamenei, on Friday, issued a decree appointing Soleimani’s long-time Lt. Gen. Esmail Qaani the new leader of the Quds Force.
He also declared three days of national mourning.
* Writing by Sena Guler
