Governments are urging the United States and Iran to take steps to de-escalate tensions after a series of attacks on each other’s interests in Iraq.British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Wednesday condemned Iran’s missile attack on two Iraqi air bases that house U.S. and coalition forces, including British troops.”We urge Iran not to repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks, and instead to pursue urgent de-escalation,” Raab said.He added that a war in the region would only help Islamic State, the militant group at the center of the coalition’s mission in Iraq.FILE – Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga attends a news conference at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s official residence in Tokyo, May 29, 2017.Japan’s Chief Cabinet spokesman Yoshihide Suga expressed concern about the situation in the Middle East, and called for all nations involved to exert whatever diplomatic effort they can to improve relations.United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted it is essential for the region to pull back from what he called “current and troubling tensions.””De-escalation is both wise & necessary. A political path towards stability must follow,” Gargash wrote.
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