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LONDON, UK – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has broken his silence on the U.S. assassination of Iranian military leader General Qasem Soleimani and top Iraqi paramilitary official Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Mr Johnson has called on both Iran and the U.S. to stop talk of retaliation or reprisals, as he says it will lead to more violence in the region.

Most world leaders, other than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have been caught unawares by the sudden airstrike at the Baghdad International Airport on Thursday which killed 11 people, including Soleimani and Al-Muhandis. The few that have issued statements have avoided the assassination, with the main focus on calling for de-escalation.

Johnson did not make any official statement until Sunday, and only then after discussing the situation with French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. President Donald Trump, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

He said Britain will not lament Soleimani’s death. He did not comment on the death of Al-Muhandis.

In relation to the Iranian, who led the Quds Force, the British prime minister said Soleimani had played a role ‘in actions that have led to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and western personnel.’ Ominously the same could be said of a number of actors but more in the hundreds of thousands, including a raft of U.S. officials such as George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, John Bolton, and indeed former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Australia’s John Howard.

“Today I have spoken with President Macron, President Trump and Chancellor Merkel and will be speaking with other leaders in the coming days,” Johnson said Sunday.

“General Qasem Soleimani posed a threat to all our interests and was responsible for a pattern of disruptive, destabilising behaviour in the region.”

“Given the leading role he has played in actions that have led to the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and western personnel, we will not lament his death,” the British prime minister said.

‘It is clear however that all calls for retaliation or reprisals will simply lead to more violence in the region and they are in no one’s interest.”

“We are in close contact with all sides to encourage de-escalation. I will be speaking to other leaders and our Iraqi friends to support peace and stability. The foreign secretary has been in constant contact with leaders and foreign ministers from across the globe and we have taken steps to increase the security of our personnel and interests in the region. Following further international engagement and ministerial meetings here in the UK, parliament will be updated on Tuesday,” the prime minister said.