Concerns over security in the Middle East have ratcheted up another notch as Iran has threatened to take ‘severe revenge’ following a US air strike on Baghdad International Airport which killed General Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Quds Force.
The attack has prompted a surge in oil prices and concerns that shipping in the region could be among the potential targets for any reprisals. However, a maritime security specialist advised Bunkerspot this morning that ‘Iran’s self-interest would not be served by disrupting the flow of oil’.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to launch the strike has been broadly welcomed by senior figures and supporters of the Republican Party – but Democratic candidates for the US Presidency have been critical. Bernie Saunders said the strike ‘brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars’.
The UK’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab issued a statement this morning urging restraint: ‘We have always recognised the aggressive threat posed by the Iranian Quds force led by Qasem Soleimani. Following his death, we urge all parties to de-escalate. Further conflict is in none of our interests.’
