“In these complex, sensitive and dangerous circumstances, we urge all concerned parties to exercise maximum self-restraint and prevent any further dangerous escalation,” Barzani said in a statement released late on Friday.

“Iraq must not become a battleground for other countries to settle their disputes. We urge them to solve their problems through dialogue and to respect Iraq and its sovereignty,” he added.

Saying that the cycle of escalation was leading Iraq and the Middle East “towards an abyss and an uncertain future,” Barzani also warned that any conflict would only serve to facilitate the resurgence of Islamic State (IS) and other extremist groups. He noted that both Soleimani and Muhandis had played “prominent role in the fight against IS.”

Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani sent a brief tweet late on Friday saying that he had spoken with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the assassination, which was reportedly carried out by a drone, NRT reported.

“We agreed on the importance of deescalating tensions in Iraq through restraint and dialogue,” he said.

The assassination has imperiled the relationship between Washington and Baghdad, with a parliamentary session scheduled for Sunday that may see steps towards expelling US forces from the country.

Many of those approximately 5,000 troops work as trainers for the Iraqi Security Forces and the Peshmerga. Following the assassination, the US-led coalition said that it was suspending its training operations throughout Iraq for the time being.

On Friday, the US advised all of its citizens to leave Iraq without making a differentiation between federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, but said that its consulate in Erbil would remain open for citizen services.

Reporter’s code: 50101