MOSCOW, January 3. /TASS/: US strikes in Syria and Iraq could be an issue for discussion by the UN Security Council, Chairman of the Russian State Duma (lower house) Foreign Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky told TASS on Friday commenting on the murder of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq.
"The Americans have crossed the ‘red line,’ and this time the consequences can be most serious. Iran has vowed to take revenge and come up with a crushing response," he said, urging Tehran "to avoid further steps that could lead to a substantial deterioration of the situation in the region."
"I would not rule out the need to consider the whole situation in the UN Security Council," he added.
Slutsky also stressed that Soleimani’s illegal murder was a barbarous act of provocation. "It will lead to nothing but an escalation of tensions in the region," he said, offering condolences to the entire Iranian people.
The Pentagon earlier confirmed that a missile strike near the Baghdad airport killed the head of the Quds Force Qasem Soleimani. The operation was carried out at the direction of US President Donald Trump, the statement said.
The Quds Force is a unit in Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) that is actively involved in military conflicts in Syria and Iraq. It is believed that its successful operations were mainly attributable to its commander Qassem Soleimani. Washington has branded Soleimani as a terrorist.
