NATO closely monitoring situation as tensions rise between US, Iran

The The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) military alliance was monitoring the situation in Iraq closely on Friday, with an eye to the safety of its training mission there after US forces killed an Iranian general.

NATO maintains a limited presence in Iraq to train government security forces and the alliance was not involved in the attack on Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad international airport.

"NATO is monitoring the situation in the region very closely. We remain in close and regular contact with the US authorities," spokesperson Dylan White said.

"At the request of the Iraqi government, NATO's training mission in the country is helping to strengthen the Iraqi forces and prevent the return of ISIS," he said.

"The safety of our personnel in Iraq is paramount. We continue to take all precautions necessary."

The Pentagon said US President Donald Trump ordered Soleimani's "killing," after a pro-Iran mob this week laid siege to the US embassy. Declaring three days of mourning across the country, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to take "severe revenge" for Soleimani´s death.

Iran´s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed "severe revenge" after the United States killed the commander of the Islamic republic´s Quds Force, General Qasem Soleimani, in Baghdad on Friday.

"Martyrdom was the reward for his ceaseless efforts in all these years," Khamenei said on his Farsi-language Twitter account in reference to Soleimani, also declaring three days of mourning.

"With him gone, God willing, his work and his path will not be stopped, but severe revenge awaits the criminals who bloodied their foul hands with his blood and other martyrs´ in last night´s incident".