Iran: Putin Invites Merkel To Russia For Talks

The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin has invited German Chancellor, Angela Merkel for talks on the tensions in the Middle East.

The Kremlin press service said that Merkel and Putin would meet in Russia on January 11, to discuss the crisis resulting from the killing of Iran’s top military commander, Qassem Soleimani, in a U.S. air strike.

German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, also said that the U.S. threat to Iraq  was “not very helpful”.

“I don’t think it works to convince Iraq with threats, but with arguments.”

Merkel’s spokesman said that Syria, Libya and Ukraine would also be discussed at the meeting.

Soleimani, who was the head of the elite Quds Force and core to Iran’s military influence outside the country, was killed in an air raid alongside his adviser, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and other militias.

But in a swift reaction to the U.S, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that “all enemies should know that the jihad of resistance will continue with a doubled motivation, and a definite victory awaits the fighters in the holy war.”