ME tension stoking up: US, Tehran edging close to all-out war

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: The United States (US) and Iran are edging close to an all-out war after the US forces killed Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force in a drone strike in Baghdad along with nine others.

The United States is sending around 3,000 more troops to the Middle East from the 82nd Airborne Division as a precaution amid rising threats to its forces in the region. The move comes after President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Qasem Soleimani. Reacting to the killing of Soleimani, Deputy Commander of Iran´s Revolutionary Guards Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi Saturday said Washington had asked Tehran to respond "in proportion" after US forces killed top military commander Qasem Soleimani. Iran´s ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi, told CNN that the killing was an "act of war on the part of the United States". Hours later, the Americans "resorted to diplomatic measures... on Friday morning", Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said on the Iranian state television that night. They "even said that if you want to get revenge, get revenge in proportion to what we did", he said, as quoted on the broadcaster´s website. Fadavi did not specify how Iran had received the message from its arch-enemy, even though Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations for four decades.

Iran´s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a separate television interview on Friday night that "Switzerland´s envoy transmitted a foolish message from the Americans this morning". The Swiss official "was summoned in the evening and received a decisive response in writing... to the Americans´ audacious letter," Zarif added. The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed Saturday that its charge d´affaires had handed over a letter from Washington to the Iranians when he was summoned to the foreign ministry on Friday morning. Switzerland´s embassy in Tehran has represented US interests in the Islamic republic since ties were cut in 1980.

But Fadavi said the United States was not in a position "to determine" Iran´s response. "The Americans must await severe revenge. This revenge will not be limited to Iran," he said. "The ‘Resistance Front´, with a vast geography, is ready to materialise this revenge," he added, referring to Iran´s allies across the Middle East.

In a related development, Iran´s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hosted his Qatari counterpart Saturday for talks in Tehran amid escalating tensions with the US. Zarif and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani discussed "the new situation in Iraq and the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani" as well as regional and international issues, Iran´s foreign ministry said in a statement. In his meeting with the Qatari foreign minister, Zarif called the US attack a "terrorist act" that led to the "martyrdom" of the commander. "Iran does not want tension in the region, and it is the presence and interference of foreign forces that cause instability, insecurity and increased tension in our sensitive region," he said.

According to Iran´s foreign ministry, Thani said the situation in the region was sensitive and concerning. He called for a peaceful solution to be found leading to de-escalation. Iran´s President Hassan Rouhani also met with the Qatari foreign minister.

In Tehran, US and Israeli flags were set alight on Saturday, as thousands mourned the death of Qasem Soleimani. "We are with you," they chanted as they waved their hands in unison during the outpouring of grief at a rally in Tehran´s Palestine Square, an AFP correspondent reported. At Saturday´s rally in Tehran, men held up placards that called for "revenge" and black-clad women clutched portraits of Soleimani and Khamenei. Soleimani´s remains are due to be returned to Iran on Sunday ahead of ceremonies in Ahvaz, Tehran, Mashhad and Qom. The slain general is expected to be laid to rest in his hometown of Kerman on Tuesday.

A fresh air strike hit pro-Iran fighters in Iraq early Saturday. The strike targeted a convoy belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi, an Iraqi paramilitary network dominated by Shiite factions with close ties to Iran. The Hashed did not say who it held responsible but Iraqi state television reported it was a US air strike. A police source told AFP the strike left "dead and wounded," without providing a specific toll. There was no immediate comment from the US. It came hours ahead of a planned mourning march for Soleimani, who was killed alongside Hashed number two Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in the precision drone strike.

Meanwhile, two Katyusha rockets fell inside Iraq’s Balad air base, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, which houses US forces on Saturday but caused no casualties, two security sources told Reuters. Sirens immediately rang out at the American compound in Baghdad hosting both diplomats and troops, sources there told AFP. One foreign news agency said five people were injured in the rocket attack. According to security sources, two mortars also hit Baghdad´s Green Zone, a high-security enclave housing the US embassy.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised Washington´s partners in the region, but said their European allies "haven´t been as helpful as I wish that they could be". "The Brits, the French, the Germans all need to understand that what we did, what the Americans did, saved lives in Europe as well," he said. Pompeo called officials worldwide to discuss the attack, which was praised by US President Donald Trump´s Republicans and close ally Israel, but elsewhere met with sharp warnings it could inflame regional tensions. "I spent the last day and a half, two days, talking to partners in the region, sharing with them what we were doing, why we were doing it, seeking their assistance. They´ve all been fantastic," Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News. "And then talking to our partners in other places that haven´t been quite as good. Frankly, the Europeans haven´t been as helpful as I wish that they could be," he said.

"This was a good thing for the entire world, and we are urging everyone in the world to get behind what the United States is trying to do to get the Islamic Republic of Iran to simply behave like a normal nation," he added. Following Soleimani’s assassination, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell called on all involved actors "to exercise maximum restraint and show responsibility in this crucial moment."

Iraq´s prime minister attended a mourning procession in Baghdad on Saturday for Gen Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Adel Abdel Mahdi joined Muhandis associate Hadi al-Ameri, Shiite cleric Ammar al-Hakim, former premier Nuri al-Maliki and other pro-Iran figures in a large crowd. The coffins were first brought to a revered shrine in Baghdad´s Kadhimiya district, where thousands of mourners chanted "Death to America." The crowds then accompanied them south to a point near the Green Zone, home to government offices and foreign embassies, including America´s. The dignitaries then accompanied the coffins into the Green Zone for an official ceremony.

Meanwhile French President Emmanuel Macron urged those involved to act with "restraint" while British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said de-escalation would be key.

In a related development, the US-led forces helping Iraqi troops fight jihadists have scaled back operations, a US defence official told AFP Saturday. "Our first priority is protecting coalition personnel," the official said, saying the US-led force had "limited" their training and other anti-jihadist operations. "It´s not a halt," the source said, adding: "We have increased security and defensive measures at Iraqi bases that host coalition troops."

The Nato Saturday announced that it had suspended its training missions in Iraq. The Nato mission in Iraq, which consists of several hundred personnel, trains the country´s security forces at the request of the Baghdad government to prevent the return of the Islamic State jihadist group. "Nato´s mission is continuing, but training activities are currently suspended," said the spokesman, Dylan White. He also confirmed that Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had spoken by telephone with US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper "following recent developments."

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called up his Iranian counterpar saying that the United States should not "abuse force" and instead seek solutions through dialogue.

"The dangerous US military operation violates the basic norms of international relations and will aggravate regional tensions and turbulence," Wang told Javad Zarif according to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry.

"China opposes the use of force in international relations. There is no way out for military means, nor for extreme pressure," Wang said in his Saturday call with Zarif, according to the ministry.

China, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, is a key partner of Tehran and major buyer of Iranian oil.