Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu have discussed the situation following the killing of General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps of Iran, in Baghdad by the US military.

Lavrov stressed that such US actions are a gross violation of the fundamental norms of international law and do not contribute to the realization of Washington’s proclaimed goals in the fight against terrorism, the Press Service of the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

The parties expressed deep concern over this American operation’s possible serious consequences for peace and stability in the Middle East.

The Syrian settlement and the situation in Libya were also discussed.

A US drone strike killed Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad’s international airport early on Friday. The Pentagon said in a statement that US President Donald Trump had ordered the attack.