Iraqi, Qatari Foreign Ministers Discuss Efforts To Ease Regional Tensions

Muhammad Irfan Published January 15, 2020 | 06:45 PM

Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Alhakim said on Wednesday that he and his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, had agreed to work toward de-escalating the situation in the Middle East, where long-simmering tensions mounted after the US killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani earlier this month

BAGHDAD (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th January, 2020) Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Alhakim said on Wednesday that he and his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, had agreed to work toward de-escalating the situation in the middle East, where long-simmering tensions mounted after the US killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani earlier this month.

"We agreed with the Qatari Foreign Minister to reduce a wave of escalation in the region," Alhakim said at a joint press conference with Al Thani in Baghdad.

Al Thani, in turn, said that mitigating measures were being taken in the region and confirmed Qatar's support to the Iraqi people and the country's sovereignty.

In response to the assassination of its top military commander, Iran conducted airstrikes against US military facilities in Iraq last week. Hours later, the Iranian forces accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jetliner carrying 176 people, after mistaking it for a US retaliatory missile.