Gen Bajwa speaks to US defence secretary, urges Washington and Tehran to 'avoid rhetoric'

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Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa. Photo: File 

RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa Wednesday urged US Secretary of Defence Mark  Esper to "avoid rhetoric in favour of diplomatic engagement" as tensions between Tehran and Washington heighten after Iran's attack on military bases housing American soldiers in Iraq. 

A series of tweets by the Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Twitter stated that the army chief received a phone call from Esper in which the two discussed tensions between Iran and the US that soared after the former retaliated over the killing of Al Quds commander Qassem Soleimani on Friday. 

The tweet by DG ISPR said Esper told Gen Bajwa that though the US did not want conflict it "will respond forcefully if necessary". 

The military's spokesperson tweeted that the army chief told the US defence secretary to pursue 'diplomatic engagement' instead of rhetoric. 

The army chief also told Esper that Pakistan would like to play its part in the Afghan reconciliation process so that it does not get derailed and "the region goes towards conflict resolution instead of new conflicts". 

Qassem Soleimani killed in US strike on Baghdad

Top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani was killed last week in a US strike on Baghdad´s international airport.

The Pentagon had said US President Donald Trump ordered Soleimani's "killing," after a pro-Iran mob this week laid siege to the US embassy. Declaring three days of mourning across the country, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to take "severe revenge" for Soleimani´s death.

The US had acted in response to a rocket attack days earlier that had killed an American contractor working in Iraq. Trump had blamed Iran for a spate of rocket attacks targeting US forces as well as the siege at the embassy, saying: "They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat."

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United States President Donald Trump confirmed that Iran had carried out missile strikes on a US base in Iraq, shortly after the attack. The US President said that an assessment of the casualties and damages was taking place and a statement would be made early Wednesday.

"All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning," he tweeted.

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