German government spokesman: US was reacting to a series of provocations by Iran

The United States was reacting to a series of provocations by Iran, a spokesperson for the German government said on Friday when commenting on the killing of Qassem Soleimani, a top Iranian general.

"We want to see a diplomatic solution to this crisis," the spokesperson added.

In the meantime, investors continue to seek refuge in safe-haven assets amid heightened geopolitical tensions. As of writing, the 10-year US Treasury bond yield was down 3.2% on the day and the S&P 500 futures were erasing more than 1% to suggest that Wall Street's main indexes are likely to open deep in the negative territory.