Nato suspends its Iraq training mission amid fears Soleimani killing could trigger regional conflict
- Spokesman says Nato is monitoring the situation in the region very closely
Nato has suspended training of Iraqi forces to ensure the safety of several hundred mission members amid fears for regional stability after a US air strike in Baghdad killed a top Iranian general, an alliance spokesman said on Saturday.
“The safety of our personnel in Iraq is paramount,” acting Nato spokesman Dylan White said in a statement. “We continue to take all precautions necessary. Nato’s mission is continuing, but training activities are temporarily suspended.”
He said Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had spoken by phone with US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper since Friday’s attack on Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad airport.
Nato was monitoring the situation in the region very closely, he added, amid concern that the killing of Iran’s second-most powerful man could trigger a conflagration in the Middle East.
Nato Mission Iraq (NMI), made up of several hundred trainers, advisers and support staff from both countries of the 29-member alliance and non-Nato partner countries, includes military and civilian personnel.