NATO Announces Temporary Suspension of Training Mission in Iraq After Soleimani Death

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg delivers a speech during a press conference at the end of the North Atlantic Council meeting focused on the situation concerning Iran, at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Jan. 6, 2020. Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) announced Monday that it has temporarily suspended its training operations in Iraq to ensure the safety of its personnel, amid tensions in the Middle East after the Jan. 2 killing of Qassem Soleimani.

“In everything that we do, the safety of our personnel is paramount,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels after a meeting of the North Atlantic Council. “As such, we have for the time being suspended our training on the ground, and we are taking all precautions necessary to protect our people. We are keeping the situation under close review.”