NATO supports US over killing of Soleimani, warns Iran

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Monday said that it supports the United States' policies in the middle east and condemned Iran's support of a variety of different terrorist groups.

Speaking after the rare NATO meeting on Iran and Iraq, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged for de-escalation after tensions have risen in the middle east region following the killing of Iran's senior military commander Qassem Soleimani by the United States, Al Jazeera reported,

NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European countries.

"We are united in condemning Iran's support of a variety of different terrorist groups," Stoltenberg said. "At the meeting today, allies called for restraint and de-escalation. A new conflict would be in no one's interest. So, Iran must refrain from further violence and provocations."

On Friday, the US had carried out a strike near Baghdad's international airport killing Soleimani, a US-designated terrorist, along with six others on the direction of President Donald Trump.'

Infuriated by the killing of Soleimani, Iran has vowed to take revenge. The United States has also said that it will also attack Iran if the country will target the US.

Iraq has also passed a resolution asking the US-led coalition to suspend all the defense operations and leave the country.

During the meeting, France, Germany, and others said that they wanted the Iraq mission to continue.

The NATO Iraq mission was formed in 218 after three years of war against ISIL fighters and is 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.

The mission is a non-combat "train-and-advise" mission to help Iraqi security structures and institutions fend off future insurgencies.