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Iraq President Barham Salih is “deeply concerned” following the U.S. assassination of Iranian Quds Force Supreme Commander Qasem Soleimani on Iraqi soil, according to NBC News’ Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel, who reported that he spoke to the leader on Friday.

“This country is extremely divided, it is extremely fragile. Earlier today I spoke on the telephone with the President of Iraq, Barham Salih, someone who I’ve known personally for many years now, and he’s deeply concerned,” declared Engel live on MSNBC. “You could hear it in his voice.”

“He’s worried that once more in Iraq you’re gonna have a cycle of violence, you’re gonna see sectarian killings, you’re gonna see divisions, because there are real tensions here,” Engel continued, noting that there have been protests in Baghdad for weeks “that have brought with them a violent crackdown from the authorities.”

Engel also reported there could be “some tension” around the Green Zone in Baghdad on Saturday, where U.S. forces are located.

“In the middle of Baghdad you have what is still often called the Green Zone. That is the area where the U.S. embassy is located, that is the area where quite a number of American forces are located, primarily protecting the embassy, but also with other missions,” he explained. “Around them, not very far away from them,

are Shiite neighborhoods that tomorrow are going to be out commemorating, celebrating the martyrdom of these two figures, and they’re going to be blaming the United States… They’re going to be in quite close proximity, so there could be some tension. There could be an escalation.”

Watch above via MSNBC.

Tags: Barham Salih, Iran, Iraq, MSNBC, NBC, NBC News, Qasem Soleimani, Richard Engel