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| Iran attack: Nato chief condemns missile strike on US forces in Iraq – live | Iran attack: Nato chief condemns missile strike on US forces in Iraq – live |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Donald Trump is expected to make a TV address about the Iran crisis after tweeting overnight that ‘All is well!’ | Donald Trump is expected to make a TV address about the Iran crisis after tweeting overnight that ‘All is well!’ |
| Senior Democrats have been expressing concern about the lack of information coming from the Trump administration about the standoff with Iran, and have called on officials in the Defense department to provide regular briefings and documents to Congress. | |
| “While recognizing the need for operations security, we similarly believe there is a requirement to be transparent with the American people about how many troops this Administration plans to deploy in support of contingency plans,” Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and other senior Democrats wrote in a letter on Wednesday. | |
| The Democrats also expressed grave concern over Trump’s recent comments on targeting Iranian cultural sites, and asked for clarification. They said they expected a response by Friday. | |
| The Pentagon has contradicted Trump, saying cultural sites would not be a target. US secretary of defense Mark Esper acknowledged that such an attack is against international law and would be considered a war crime, adding: “We will follow the laws of armed conflict.” | |
| The Iranian strikes on Iraqi bases last night appear to have been carefully designed to avoid US casualties, and may offer both sides a pathway out of the standoff, the Guardian’s Michael Safi writes: | |
| Here’s a summary of where events stand so far today: | Here’s a summary of where events stand so far today: |
| Iran launched more than a dozen missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US and coalition troops overnight, declaring the strikes to be retaliation for the killing last week of the senior Iranian general Qassem Suleimani. You can read the full report here. Iranian officials initially told state media, without presenting evidence, that at least 80 US personnel had been killed or injured in the strikes, but President Donald Trump tweeted that casualty assessments were underway but “so far, so good”. He is expected to make a statement at 11am ET this morning. | |
| The Iraqi prime minister’s office said it had received a verbal message from the Iranians shortly after midnight saying that their “response to the assassination of the martyr Qassem Soleimani had begun or would start shortly” and would be limited to US military stationed in Iraq. At the same time, they were informed by the Americans that strikes had begun against US forces at various locations in the country. | |
| Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, described the bombings as “a slap in the face” for the US but warned that Tehran still had a wider goal of expelling its enemy from the region. He told an audience in the city of Qom: | |
| International leaders have called on both sides to refrain from further violence. EU commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said “the use of weapons must stop now to give space for dialogue”. | International leaders have called on both sides to refrain from further violence. EU commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said “the use of weapons must stop now to give space for dialogue”. |
| Meanwhile, a passenger plane bound for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has crashed a few minutes after taking off from Tehran’s main international airport, killing 176 people. Iran’s Red Crescent said there was no chance of finding survivors, and Pir Hossein Kulivand, an Iranian emergency official, later told state TV all those onboard had been killed. Iran has said it will not hand over the black box of the plane – which contains vital records of how the tragedy occurred – to Boeing. | Meanwhile, a passenger plane bound for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has crashed a few minutes after taking off from Tehran’s main international airport, killing 176 people. Iran’s Red Crescent said there was no chance of finding survivors, and Pir Hossein Kulivand, an Iranian emergency official, later told state TV all those onboard had been killed. Iran has said it will not hand over the black box of the plane – which contains vital records of how the tragedy occurred – to Boeing. |
| The White House has said Trump will deliver an address at 11am EST (4pm GMT) following the Iranian attacks on Iraqi military bases housing US troops | |
| Welcome to the Guardian’s US politics live blog, where we’ll be focused on the latest developments on the fallout from the Iranian missile attack on US forces in Iraq last night. | |
| The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has condemned Iran’s missile strike, and has urged Iran to refrain from further violence. | The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has condemned Iran’s missile strike, and has urged Iran to refrain from further violence. |
| European leaders have pleaded in public and in private with the Trump administration on Wednesday to draw a line in its conflict with Iran, and not to respond militarily to Iran’s “retaliatory” missile attack, which came days after the US drone strike in Iraq that killed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani. | European leaders have pleaded in public and in private with the Trump administration on Wednesday to draw a line in its conflict with Iran, and not to respond militarily to Iran’s “retaliatory” missile attack, which came days after the US drone strike in Iraq that killed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani. |
| Meanwhile, Donald Trump is expected to address the public on TV this morning about the Iran crisis. The time has not yet been specified. | Meanwhile, Donald Trump is expected to address the public on TV this morning about the Iran crisis. The time has not yet been specified. |
| In other US politics news, the impeachment process for bringing Trump to trial before the Senate is in suspended animation this morning. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to break off from briefing her caucus of Democrats on Capitol Hill, when they had expected to hear details about the next step in impeachment, last night, after the Iranian missiles were launched. | In other US politics news, the impeachment process for bringing Trump to trial before the Senate is in suspended animation this morning. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had to break off from briefing her caucus of Democrats on Capitol Hill, when they had expected to hear details about the next step in impeachment, last night, after the Iranian missiles were launched. |
| There is no indication yet of when she intends to deliver the articles of impeachment (aka congressional charges against the president) to the Senate. The Republican-controlled Senate appears intent on attempting to barrel through with the eventual trial without any witnesses being allowed. | There is no indication yet of when she intends to deliver the articles of impeachment (aka congressional charges against the president) to the Senate. The Republican-controlled Senate appears intent on attempting to barrel through with the eventual trial without any witnesses being allowed. |