In this Friday, March 27, 2015, file photo provided by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, commander of Iran鈥檚 Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani prays in a religious ceremony at a mosque in the residence of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran. AP
PARIS, France 鈥斅燭he world reacted with alarm on Friday after top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US strike in Iraq, with leaders appealing for restraint.
The assassination was praised by US President Donald Trump鈥檚 Republicans but elsewhere there were warnings of the danger it could inflame regional tensions.
Following are some of the reactions from around the world:
鈥楽evere revenge鈥
鈥淢artyrdom was the reward for his ceaseless efforts in all these years,鈥 Iran鈥檚 supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Twitter, declaring three days of mourning.
鈥淲ith him gone, God willing, his work and his path will not be stopped, but severe revenge awaits the criminals who bloodied their foul hands with his blood and other martyrs鈥 in last night鈥檚 incident.鈥
Khamenei called Soleimani the 鈥渋nternational face of the resistance鈥 and said he was killed by 鈥渢he most cruel of those on earth鈥.
All people who back the resistance would be his 鈥渁vengers鈥.
鈥淭he lack of our devoted and dear general is bitter, but continuing the fight and achieving final victory will embitter the murderers and criminals even more.鈥
鈥楶rice of killing Americans鈥
鈥淚n a display of resolve and strength, we struck the leader of those attacking our sovereign US territories,鈥 top House of Representatives Republican Kevin McCarthy said in a statement.
鈥淲ow 鈥 the price of killing and injuring Americans has just gone up drastically,鈥 Senator Lindsey Graham, a close confidant of Trump, wrote on Twitter.
鈥楢dventurist step鈥
鈥淭he killing of Soleimani鈥 was an adventurist step that will increase tensions throughout the region,鈥 the Russian foreign ministry was quoted as saying by news agencies RIA Novosti and TASS.
鈥淪oleimani served the cause of protecting Iran鈥檚 national interests with devotion. We express our sincere condolences to the Iranian people.鈥
鈥楧angerous escalation鈥
The killing of Soleimani risks provoking a 鈥渄angerous escalation of violence鈥, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.
鈥淎merica 鈥 and the world 鈥 cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return.鈥
鈥淧resident Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox,鈥 former vice president Joe Biden said in a statement.
鈥淚ran will surely respond. We could be on the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East.鈥
鈥楢ppeal for restraint鈥
鈥淐hina has always opposed the use of force in international relations,鈥 foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a press briefing.
鈥淲e urge the relevant sides, especially the United States, to remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalating tensions.鈥
He said Iraq鈥檚 sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity must be respected.
China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is a key partner of Iran and major buyer of the country鈥檚 oil.
鈥楽park a devastating war鈥
Iraq鈥檚 caretaker prime minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said the US strike, which also killed an Iraqi commander, was an 鈥渁ggression鈥 that would 鈥渟park a devastating war鈥.
鈥淭he assassination of an Iraqi military commander in an official post is an aggression against the country of Iraq, its state, its government and its people,鈥 he said in a statement.
Abdel Mahdi said the strike was a 鈥渇lagrant violation of the conditions authorising the presence of US troops鈥 on Iraqi soil.
鈥榃orld more dangerous鈥
鈥淲e have woken up to a more dangerous world,鈥 France鈥檚 Europe Minister Amelie de Montchalin told French radio, saying President Emmanuel Macron would consult soon with players in the region.
鈥淚n such operations, when can see an escalation is under way, but what we want above all is stability and de-escalation,鈥 Montchalin said.
鈥淎ll of France鈥檚 efforts鈥 in all parts of the world aim to ensure that we are creating the conditions for peace or at least stability,鈥 she added.
鈥淥ur role is not to take sides, but to talk with everyone,鈥 Montchalin said.
鈥楥owardly aggression鈥
The Syrian government accused Washington of trying to fuel conflict in the Middle East.
Syria is 鈥渃ertain that this cowardly US aggression鈥 will only strengthen determination to follow in the path of the resistance鈥檚 martyred leaders,鈥 a foreign ministry official was quoted as saying by the state news agency SANA.
鈥楧ivine victory鈥
Iraqis who have demonstrated for months against a government they see as beholden to Iran broke into song and dance after the US strike.
鈥淥h Qasem Soleimani, this is a divine victory,鈥 they cheered in Baghdad鈥檚 iconic Tahrir Square, the epicentre of their movement.
鈥淭his is God鈥檚 revenge for the blood of those killed,鈥 one added, after nearly 460 people were killed in violence that many demonstrators have blamed on Iran-backed security forces.