Qasem Soleimani

Greece called for "cool-headedness" and "moderation" following the US killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force.

"Greece is following with great concern the developments in Iraq," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday.

Turkey expressed concern about escalating U.S.-Iranian tension and called on all the parties to avoid unilateral steps that would jeopardize the stability in the region after the U.S. killed Iranian commander Qassem Suleymani.

Two vehicles near the airport in Baghdad were hit in airstrikes and on that occasion, in addition to the second most powerful man in Iran, Qassem Soleimani, the top leader of the umbrella Shiite organization People's Mobilization Force (PMF) Abu-Mahdi al-Muhandis was killed.

This happened hours after the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

The United States called on its citizens in Iraq to leave the country immediately. It happened hours after the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in a US missile strike in Baghdad, BTA reported.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader has urged the government to keep Turkey away from the "growing fire" in the Middle East after the United States killed top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, repeating his party's objection to sending Turkish troops to Libya.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to cut short his trip to Greece following the assassination of Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran's Quds Force, said an official in Netanyahu's office.

Crude oil prices were up by around 3 percent during Jan. 3's trading start as rising tensions in the Middle East threaten secure crude supply from the region.

International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $68.18 per barrel at 0615 GMT with a 2.83 percent increase after closing on Jan. 2 at $66.30 a barrel.

The US confirmed that it carried out a strike that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

The United States killed Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force and spearhead of Iran's spreading military influence in the Middle East, in an airstrike at Baghdad airport, the Pentagon and Iran said.

Top Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, an adviser to Soleimani, was also killed in the attack, a militia spokesman said.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared the end of Islamic State on Tuesday in an address broadcast live on state TV, reported Reuters.

A senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Major General Qassem Soleimani, also declared the end of Islamic State in a message sent to the country's supreme leader Tuesday which was published on Sepah News, the news site of the Guards.