EU Says Iraq Cycle of Violence Must Stop before It 'Spirals Out of Control'

The current cycle of violence in Iraq must be stopped before it "spirals out of control," European Foreign Minister Josep Borrell warned Friday, after the US killed a top Iranian in Baghdad.

"The EU calls on all the actors involved and on those partners who can have an influence to exercise maximum restraint and show responsibility in this crucial moment," Borrell said in a statement. 

"Another crisis risks jeopardizing years of efforts to stabilize Iraq. Furthermore, the ongoing escalation threatens the whole region, which has suffered immensely and whose populations deserve life in peace," he added.