The assassination of Soleimani and al-Muhandis is the announcement of a direct war between the U.S. and Iran – Analyst

North Press Agency  

The head of the Iraqi Group for Strategic Studies, Wathiq al-Hashemi considered the assassination of the Iranian major-general Qasem Soleimani, commander of Quds Force, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) (an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of some 40 militias that are mostly Shia Muslim groups), Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, after the U.S. strike, as an announcement of a direct war between the U.S. and Iran on the Iraqi territories.

Soleimani and al-Muhandis, accompanied by other leaders of the Popular Mobilization were killed in a U.S. air strike that targeted their convoy on the road from Baghdad airport at dawn of yesterday, on Friday.

During his talk to North-Press, al-Hashemi considered the incident represents "an American violation of the Iraqi sovereignty, and a declaration of a direct war between the U.S. and Iran on the Iraqi territories, and an escalation in the tense Middle East region, as it is the oil region.”

Al-Hashemi noted that the Iranians have informed the response will be swift, and perhaps it will be in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon or Yemen to target the U.S. interests, adding that there were criticisms of the Democrats in the United States. Thus, the escalation "would be dangerous in all its aspects,” as he said.

Concerning the repercussions of this operation on the U.S. presence in Iraq, al-Hashemi said: "if the quorum is completed tomorrow, Iraq will issue a decision by the Parliament to remove the foreign forces. There is talks about a mediation by Arab countries with Iran to reduce the tension with American promises to raise caution on Iran in order to overcome this matter.”

Al-Hashemi pointed out that the Arab countries on their part, especially the Gulf states fear any escalation because they will be the first target in this matter as the situation is very complicated and confusing, adding: "a while ago, there was a condemnation from the religious authority in Najaf for this attack, but it also called for restraint, so that things don't become tense.”