"No Iranian Casualties Reported" UK, Canada, and Others Closely Monitor Situation (Comprehensive)

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Following Iran's attack on a U.S. base in Iraq on the 8th (local time) in retaliation for the killing of Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, major countries including the United Kingdom and Canada are closely monitoring the situation.

According to CNN, British diplomatic authorities stated, "We are urgently taking action to verify the facts regarding the local situation in Iraq," adding, "The top priority is the safety of British nationals." Subsequently, Dominic Raab, the UK Foreign Secretary, condemned Iran's missile attack and demanded that Iran refrain from repeating such ruthless and dangerous attacks.

Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff of Canada, also posted on his Twitter that all Canadians are safe despite the missile attack in Iraq on the same day. He emphasized, "I can assure that all deployed Canadian military personnel are safe," and added, "We remain vigilant and are not lowering our guard."

Earlier, both the UK and Canada had indicated the possibility of withdrawing their troops deployed in Iraq to respect the safety of their nationals and Iraq's sovereignty. Ben Wallace, UK Secretary of State for Defence, stated that British troops stationed locally could be withdrawn if Iraq requests it. There are 400 British troops deployed in Iraq. Canada also announced that it would temporarily relocate part of its 500-strong unit stationed in Iraq to Kuwait.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also confirmed that all diplomatic staff and military personnel in Iraq are safe. In a press conference, he said he has been closely monitoring the situation over the past few days. In a statement, he said he instructed the military to take all necessary actions to protect the safety of Australian nationals.

The governments of India and the Philippines have also strongly urged their nationals staying in Iraq to evacuate outside Iraq and issued the highest level travel warnings. The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised avoiding unnecessary visits to Iraq until further notice, while the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Erbil continue to operate normally.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.