Iraqi President Barham Salih called for self-restraint as the US and Iran cause tensions to increase in the region.
During a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the death of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad, Mr Salih said Iraq was going through "very complicated and sensitive circumstances amid regional challenges and economic crises".
He called for “a sense of national responsibility to protect the interests of the country and the people”.
"Iraqis can’t accept their country being a battleground for others or a launch pad to attack anyone," he said.
“We had enough wars and violence. We want a peaceful Iraq for its people, neighbours and the region.”
Tensions between the US and Iran have had a major effect on Iraq, where Washington and Tehran have vied for influence since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
The situation became more tense in 2018 when US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and global powers and imposed sanctions on Iran to force it to renegotiate the deal.
By the end of 2019, Iran-backed militias in Iraq increased attacks against US troops, demanding their withdrawal.
The US assassinated Suleimani outside Baghdad airport in January last year. He was head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force and architect of Tehran's proxy wars and policy in the Middle East.
The strike also killed Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, leader of Iran-allied group Kataib Hezbollah, and eight aides.
A few days later, Iran retaliated by firing nearly two dozen ballistic missiles at two Iraqi military bases hosting US troops, raising the possibility of a conflict between Iran and the US on Iraqi soil.
Since late last month, tensions have increased again after Washington sent B-52 bombers to fly over the region in a warning to Iran against carrying out attacks during the anniversary of Suleimani's death. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz also patrolled the Arabian Gulf.
On Monday, Iran resumed uranium enrichment at its underground nuclear plant near Qom to produce 20 per cent enriched uranium in direct defiance of the terms of the nuclear deal.
Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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more from Janine di Giovanni
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Company profile: buybackbazaar.com
Name: buybackbazaar.com
Started: January 2018
Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech, micro finance
Initial investment: $1 million
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
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The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
