UN chief concerned over escalation in Gulf region after killing Iranian General

Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also among those killed during the strike, according to media reports.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over the latest escalation in tension across the Gulf region, following the killing of a top Iranian General in Iraq, in an airstrike carried out by the United States. In a statement issued on Friday morning, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that the UN chief had "consistently advocated for de-escalation", adding that "this is a moment in which leaders must exercise maximum restraint."

The head of Iran's Quds Force, General Qasem Soleimani, was targeted and killed on the outskirts of Baghdad airport, in a strike that was ordered by US President Donald Trump, according to a statement issued by the US Department of Defense.

Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was also among those killed during the strike, according to media reports. His Kataib Hezbollah group had been blamed by the US for a rocket attack that killed a US civilian contractor in Iraq a week ago, and he led a group of militias within Iraq, aligned with Iran.

Iran's supreme leader, Ayattollah Ali Khamenei, issued a statement calling for three days of public mourning following the death of General Soleimani and said there would be retaliation for the US strikes, according to news reports.

"This is a moment in which leaders must exercise maximum restraint", said the statement from the UN Secretary-General. "The world cannot afford another war in the Gulf."