The Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday it is following up with great concern the current rapid developments in Iraq, saying it is “very important that escalation be avoided.”

“Egypt calls for containing the situation and avoiding any further escalation,” read the statement.

A US airstrike at Baghdad airport on Friday killed Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, prompting regional and international concerns of increased tensions in the Middle East.

"Containing the situation requires the immediate halt to all kinds of regional intervention in the affairs of Arab states and peoples, which have only resulted in rising tensions and divisions among Arab people who aspire for peace and stability," the statement added.