美国袭杀苏莱曼尼，世界作何反应？

美国总统特朗普4日警告伊朗称，若其袭击美方人员或设施，美方将对伊朗52个目标实施迅猛打击。

特朗普当天在社交媒体推特上发文说，美国拒绝任何威胁，伊朗若袭击任何美方人员或设施，美方将对伊朗重要目标实施“迅速和猛烈”打击。

据美国媒体报道，美方之所以选择52个目标是因为这代表着当年德黑兰人质危机中被伊朗方面扣押的52名美驻伊使馆人员。特朗普称其中一些目标对伊朗有重要意义。

3日，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队下属“圣城旅”指挥官卡西姆·苏莱曼尼在伊拉克巴格达国际机场外的公路上遭美军空袭身亡。伊朗最高领袖哈梅内伊随后发表声明说，伊朗方面将对这起事件进行“强硬复仇”。

目前，美国各地城市加强安全措施，首都华盛顿处于戒备状态。中国驻美国大使馆建议和提醒在美中国公民密切关注当地安全形势，慎重考虑前往公众场所。

U.S. President Donald Trump warned in a tweet on Sunday that the U.S. is targeting 52 sites in Iran and will hit them "very fast and very hard" if the Islamic Republic of Iran attacks American personnel or assets.

"The USA wants no more threats!" Trump said, adding that the 52 targets represented the 52 Americans who were held hostage in Iran after being seized at the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979. 

Trump also warned on Saturday night that the United States would hit Iran harder than ever before if Tehran retaliates to the assassination of one of its top generals. 

His latest response came after the assassination of Iranian Major-General Qasem Soleimani in a U.S. airstrike on Baghdad airport on Friday morning.

Who is Qasem Soleimani?
A thorn in the side of both the U.S. and Israel since the 1980s, Soleimani rose through the ranks of Iran's military to take charge of the Revolutionary Guard's elite Quds Force, the main arm of Iran's extraterritorial campaigns. He would go on to be described by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a "living martyr of the revolution."

Tensions have been rising with Tehran vowing to avenge the death of Soleimani and the U.S. is deploying some 3,500 additional troops to the Middle East region to boost security. 

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Friday appointed Esmail Ghaani as the new commander of the Quds Force of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

A man mourns at the funeral of the Iranian Major-General Qasem Soleimani, and the Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who were killed in an airstrike at Baghdad airport, in Baghdad, Iraq, January 4, 2020. /Reuters Photo

Here's how the world is reacting to the killing:

EU 

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Saturday stressed the "need for de-escalation" after the attack. 

"Spoke w[ith] Iranian FM @JZarif about recent developments. Underlined need for de-escalation of tensions, to exercise restraint & avoid further escalation," he tweeted. 

Borrell said he also discussed importance of preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which remains crucial for global security, with Zarif.

Iraq

On Saturday, tens of thousands of people marched in Iraq to mourn Soleimani and the Iraqi militia leader with shouts of "Death to America."

On Saturday evening, a rocket fell inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone near the U.S. Embassy, another hit the nearby Jadriya neighborhood and two more rockets were fired at the Balad air base north of the city, but no one was killed, the Iraqi military said in a statement.

China 

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China is highly concerned about the current situation in the Gulf and opposes the excessive use of force in international relations during a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday. 

China maintains that all parties should earnestly abide by the purposes of the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations, that Iraq's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity should be respected, and peace and stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region should be maintained, Wang noted.  

Echoing Wang's stance on the issue, Lavrov said U.S. actions violate international law and should be condemned. 

Israel 

Following the air strike that killed Soleimani, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "underscored the importance of countering Iran's malign influence and threats to the region" during their talks on Saturday. 

Pompeo said on Twitter that he was "always grateful for Israel's steadfast support in defeating terrorism."

A man covers his face as people take part in an anti-war protest amid increased tensions between the United States and Iran at Times Square in New York, U.S., January 4, 2020. /Reuters Photo

France 

France stepped up diplomatic initiatives on Saturday to ease tensions. French President Emmanuel Macron talked with Iraq President Barham Salih, Macron's office said. 

"The two presidents agreed to remain in close contact to avoid any further escalation in tensions and in order to act to ensure stability in Iraq and the broader region," a statement from Macron's office said. 

Macron also spoke with the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. 

Gholamali Abuhamzeh, a senior commander of the Revolutionary Guards, said Tehran would punish Americans "wherever they are in reach", and raised the prospect of possible attacks on ships in the Gulf.

Germany 

According to Bild am Sonntag newspaper, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will seek direct talks with Iran to try to de-escalate the tensions. 

"In the coming days, we will do all we can to counteract a further escalation of the situation-in the United Nations, the EU and in dialogue with our partners in the region, including in talks with Iran," Maas told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Saturday. 

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Chancellor Angela Merkel's protege and would-be successor, said in a statement that it was up to Iran's leaders to make sure that the conflict in the region did not escalate further. 

Britain 

British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab on Friday urged all parties to de-escalate after U.S. killed Soleimani. 

"We have always recognized 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," he said in an emailed statement. 

The leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, also called for de-escalation, and urged Britain to "stand up to the belligerent actions and rhetoric coming from the United States." 

'Revenge is not a strategy' 

On escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, Barbara Slavin, director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council believes "revenge is not a strategy" as she didn't think the Trump administration considered the consequences of its actions.  

"He (Soleimani) is a controversial figure but this is not the point," Slavin told CGTN during a televised debate. 

However, Kaveh Afrasiabi, author and Iranian affairs analyst, expressed sharply different opinions, as he believed Soleimani is a "national hero."

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