Iraq's prime minister condemned on Friday the US killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and said it would "light the fuse" of war.
"The assassination of an Iraqi military commander who holds an official position is considered aggression on Iraq ... and the liquidation of leading Iraqi figures or those from a brotherly country on Iraqi soil is a massive breach of sovereignty," Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said.
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Abdul-Mahdi, whose government has the backing of Iran, said in a statement that the US airstrike was "a dangerous escalation that will light the fuse of a destructive war in Iraq, the region, and the world."
The prime minister resigned in November due to anti-government protests, but remains in office in a caretaker capacity. At least 450 people have been killed in the unrest, which has been partly driven by anger at Iranian influence in Iraq.
The prime minister said the US strike violated terms of the US military presence in Iraq, adding that US troops were exclusively in Iraq to train Iraqi security forces and fight Islamic State within the framework of a global coalition.
Abdul-Mahdi called on parliament to convene an extraordinary session to "take legislative steps and necessary provisions to safeguard Iraq's dignity, security, and sovereignty."
He did not specify what those provisions would entail, but some officials and parliamentarians have called for steps to expel US troops from Iraq.
Iraq's deputy parliament speaker said an emergency parliament session was set for Saturday to discuss the US airstrike.
Hassan al-Kaabi said it was time to put an end to "US recklessness and arrogance," adding that Saturday's session will be dedicated to taking "decisive decisions that put an end to the US presence inside Iraq."
Abdul-Mahdi described Soleimani and al-Muhandis as "huge symbols of the victory against Islamic State terrorists."
Thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets since Oct. 1 to condemn, among other things, militias and their Iranian patrons that support Abdul-Mahdi's government.
The protesters have also demanded an overhaul of a political system they see as corrupt and keeping most Iraqis in poverty.
