UK: Mideast conflict in ’no one’s interest’

Monitoring Desk

LONDON: More conflict following the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani “is in no one’s interest” and terrorists and extremists would be the only beneficiaries, British defense secretary said Tuesday.

Ben Wallace gave a statement to MPs at the House of Commons and said, “he has deep regard for the nation of Iraq.”

“But”, he said, Iran has provided “practical military support to the murderous (Bashar) Assad regime in Syria, stoked conflict in Yemen, backed militia groups in Iraq, and has repeatedly harassed international shipping including the U.K. shipping in the Strait of Hormouz.”

Iran has also “shown a total disregard to human rights, holding dual nationals in prison and causing unimaginable suffering,” he said, adding, these actions do “nothing to enhance its reputation with its neighbours,” Wallace added. Describing the Quds forces as one of the significant architects of Iran’s “malign activity” in the region, Wallace said Soleimani “was no friend of the UK or our allies in the region, he was not an advocate of a more peaceful or a prosperous Middle East.”

Wallace said the British defense ministry is “changing the readiness of our forces in the region, including helicopters and ships on standby to assist if the need arises.”

He said non-essential personnel will be relocated from Baghdad and coalition forces including British forces have “suspended all training activities.”

Wallace said the main focus for the U.K. is to prevent further escalation of tensions, He told the MPs that Prime Minister Boris spoken to the U.S. president and other world leaders, including Turkish President  Erdogan, regarding the heightened tensions in the region. “All we can to encourage Iran to take a different path,” Wallace said, urging Iran “to return to normal behaviour of the country” and to “resist the urge to retaliate.” (AA)