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US kills Iranian general Qassem Suleimani in Baghdad drone strike – live updates Iran crisis: US embassy urges its citizens to leave Iraq immediately – live updates
(32 minutes later)
World reacts to dramatic news of US drone strike in Baghdad, as American citizens are urged to depart Iraq immediately World reacts to news of US drone strike ordered by Donald Trump on Iranian general Qassem Suleimani in Baghdad
Tom Fletcher, the UK’s former ambassador to Lebanon, has said Qassem Soleimani was a “much more powerful figure than Osama bin Laden or Baghdadi, where at the moment of their own deaths, their power was in decline”.
Fletcher told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “His [Soleimani’s] was growing as it has been really since the US invasion of Iraq.” He added that it was “hard to overstate the potential impact of this moment”.
Fletcher said that Iran had been “goading Washington, goading Donald Trump”, adding: “And of course, we don’t just have erratic leaders at the moment in Tehran, we have an erratic leader in Washington as well.”
When asked how Iran could retaliate, Fletcher said: “The strategic response if they’re feeling rational is probably to consolidate their position in Iraq, but elsewhere they have many more dangerous options including assassinations themselves or proxy wars or asymmetric attacks like the ones against the Saudi oil facilities.”
What does Qassem Suleimani’s death mean for the region? The assassination threatens to open a grisly new chapter in Middle East, writes the Guardian’s Julian Borger.
In his analysis, Borger notes Suleimani’s death dispensed with the proxy war between Iran and the US, describing the airstrike as a “dagger thrust into the heart of Iranian power”.
Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is detained in Iran, warned the relationship between Iran and the US and UK was rapidly deteriorating.
He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Things are getting much worse again between the US and Iran, but also between all of us and Iran.”
He added: “I sit here partly worried for what that means for Nazanin, partly worried what that means for my in-laws, sat in their ordinary living room in Tehran where they’re all really worried.”
In December, Zaghari-Ratcliffe announced she would be going on hunger strike in solidarity with another dual national being held in Iran. Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a British-Australian academic, started an open-ended hunger strike six days ago in protest at being sentenced to 10 years on espionage charges.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was jailed four years ago, and other imprisoned dual nationals in Tehran believe they are being held as political hostages.
Israeli’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has cut short a visit to Greece following the killing. The prime minister’s office said he was returning to Israel early “to follow developments” but did not say when.Israeli’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has cut short a visit to Greece following the killing. The prime minister’s office said he was returning to Israel early “to follow developments” but did not say when.
Israel, which has fought an increasingly overt war against Iranian forces in neighbouring Syria, is preparing itself for a potential military retaliation from Tehran to the US attack.Israel, which has fought an increasingly overt war against Iranian forces in neighbouring Syria, is preparing itself for a potential military retaliation from Tehran to the US attack.
Netanyahu was in Athens following the deal signed by Greece, Cyprus and Israel on Thursday to build a 1,900km (1,180 mile) subsea pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean’s rapidly developing gas fields to Europe. Netanyahu was in Athens following the deal signed by Greece, Cyprus and Israel on Thursday to build a 1,900km (1,180-mile) subsea pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean’s rapidly developing gas fields to Europe.
Former Middle East minister Alistair Burt has described the US airstrike that killed Iran’s General Qasem Soleimani as “extremely serious” and warned it could spark a huge escalation. Former Middle East minister Alistair Burt has described the US airstrike that killed Iran’s Gen Qaseem Suleimani as “extremely serious” and warned it could spark a huge escalation.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There is no agreement as to a base of the confrontations in the region, there is a completely different narrative put forward by the Iranians for what is happening in the region to that which is put forward by the United States and others – there is no meeting between to two.” He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There is no agreement as to a base of the confrontations in the region. There is a completely different narrative put forward by the Iranians for what is happening in the region to that which is put forward by the United States and others – there is no meeting between to two.”
Burt added that the airstrike could cause “a huge potential escalation” of the conflict, of which “the consequences are unknown”. He said that it was “very important now to concentrate on what happens next, and for everybody involved diplomatically to do everything they can to try and diffuse the situation”. He added: “It’s extremely serious.” Burt added that the airstrike could cause “a huge potential escalation” of the conflict, of which “the consequences are unknown”. He said that it was “very important now to concentrate on what happens next, and for everybody involved diplomatically to do everything they can to try and defuse the situation”. He added: “It’s extremely serious.”
Asked whether the UK government would have been told about the US government’s airstrike plans before they happened, Burt replied: “I doubt it.”Asked whether the UK government would have been told about the US government’s airstrike plans before they happened, Burt replied: “I doubt it.”
In July, Burt wrote a comment piece for the Guardian warning that the next prime minister had to become an expert on Iran, fast. He wrote:In July, Burt wrote a comment piece for the Guardian warning that the next prime minister had to become an expert on Iran, fast. He wrote:
Who is Qassem Suleimani? Here’s a useful explainer on the leader of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds force by Michael Safi, the Guardian’s international correspondent, based in the Middle East:Who is Qassem Suleimani? Here’s a useful explainer on the leader of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds force by Michael Safi, the Guardian’s international correspondent, based in the Middle East:
Read more belowRead more below
The United States embassy in Baghdad has called on all it citizens to depart Iraq immediately on Friday. The order follows the US airstrike killing Iranian Quds Force leader Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in an air strike.The United States embassy in Baghdad has called on all it citizens to depart Iraq immediately on Friday. The order follows the US airstrike killing Iranian Quds Force leader Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in an air strike.
“Due to heightened tensions in Iraq and the region, the US embassy urges American citizens to heed the January 2020 travel advisory and depart Iraq immediately. US citizens should depart via airline while possible, and failing that, to other countries via land,” it said in a statement.“Due to heightened tensions in Iraq and the region, the US embassy urges American citizens to heed the January 2020 travel advisory and depart Iraq immediately. US citizens should depart via airline while possible, and failing that, to other countries via land,” it said in a statement.
Good morning. I’m Aamna Mohdin and thank you for joining our rolling coverage of air strike, ordered by US president Donald Trump, that killed powerful Iranian general Qassem Suleimani. Good morning. I’m Aamna Mohdin and thank you for joining our rolling coverage of air strike, ordered by the US president, Donald Trump, that killed powerful Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.
Suleimani death is widely being seen as a dramatic escalation of the continued struggle between Washington and Tehran for influence across the region. The general, who ran Iranian military operations in Iraq and Syria, was hit while being driven from Baghdad airport by local allies from the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU). Suleimani’s death is widely being seen as a dramatic escalation of the continued struggle between Washington and Tehran for influence across the region. The general, who ran Iranian military operations in Iraq and Syria, was hit while being driven from Baghdad airport by local allies from the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU).
Julian Borger, the Guardian’s world affairs editor, and Martin Chulov, who covers the Middle East for the Guardian, have the latest on the airstrike:Julian Borger, the Guardian’s world affairs editor, and Martin Chulov, who covers the Middle East for the Guardian, have the latest on the airstrike:
Minutes before the White House released their statement, Trump tweeted a US flag without comment. Minutes before the White House released its statement, Trump tweeted a US flag without comment.
The Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, released the following statement on Twitter:The Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, released the following statement on Twitter: