Summary
Here’s a closing summary of today’s events:
- More than 50 people have been killed in a crush in the south-eastern Iranian city of Kerman, where hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered for the burial of the military commander Qassem Suleimani. State media said 56 people had been killed and 213 injured.
- Suleimani’s burial has been postponed due to the size of the crowd. It comes a day after Iranian police said millions gathered to mourn Suleimani in Tehran, in the largest turnout since the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
- The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo has again defended the killing of Suleimani but provided no new evidence to support the US claim that the general posed a direct threat to US lives. At a press conference he accused Iran of propaganda by claiming Suleimani was in Baghdad on a diplomatic mission. Pompeo also said he was “confident” that lawyers were consulted before Donald Trump ordered the strike.
-
The UK’s ambassador to Iran, Rob Macaire, has been summoned by Iran’s foreign ministry and warned against siding with the US over the attack. Macaire was also told to convey a message to London that UK should not be a “partner in this crime”.
-
Iranian military forces have said they are prepared to use medium- to long-range missiles to attack US bases in the Middle East, in revenge for the assassination of Suleimani. The secretary of Iran’s national security council, Ali Shamkhani, said: “The 27 US bases that are closest to Iran’s border are already on high alert; they know that the response is likely to include medium-range & long-range missiles.”
- Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has vowed that Iran will respond “proportionately” to the killing of Suleimani. He described the US-ordered drone strike as an act of state terrorism and claimed Donald Trump had no respect for international law.
- Javad Zarif has also been told he will not get a US visa to travel to the United Nations later this week. He accused the US of violating the 1947 UN HQ Agreement.
- British ships and helicopters have been placed on standby in the Middle East in case there is a further military escalation of the Iran crisis, the defence minister told MPs in the Commons. Ben Wallace said the UK had taken “urgent measures” to protect British nationals and interests in Iraq and other nearby countries should Iran retaliate.
-
Boris Johnson was due to chair a meeting of the UK national security council to discuss the crisis. The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has travelled to Brussels for talks with his European counterparts.
- Germany is reducing its troop numbers in Iraq for security reasons after the US killing of Suleimani. It is the first coalition withdrawal since the Iraqi parliament voted on Sunday to call for the withdrawal of US forces from the country.
That’s it for today. Our US politics live blog will cover any major developments on the aftermath of the assassination of Suleimani and there will be more reports and analysis on our Iran page.
Updated
The Islamic Republic News Agency, Irna, has a fuller account of Iran’s decision to summon the UK’s ambassador in Tehran, Rob Macaire.
Macaire was warned that siding with the US over the assassination of Suleimani constitutes “an alliance with an act of US terrorism”, according to a translation of the report. Macaire was also told to convey a message to London that UK should not be a “partner in this crime”.
Macaire said the government believes that escalating tensions in the regions are in no one’s interest, and called on Iran to exercise restraint.
British ships and helicopters have been placed on standby in the Middle East in case there is a further military escalation of the Iran crisis, the defence minister told MPs in the Commons.
Ben Wallace said the UK had taken “urgent measures” to protect British nationals and interests in Iraq and other nearby countries should Iran retaliate after the assassination of Suleimani.
The cabinet minister said it was necessary to “change the readiness of our forces”, which include an estimated 400 troops in Iraq, and two warships, the HMS Montrose and the HMS Defender in the Persian Gulf.
Iranian military forces have said they are prepared to use medium- to long-range missiles to attack US bases in the Middle East, in revenge for the assassination of Suleimani.
According to a report by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, Iran has prepared 13 scenarios for retaliation, and the secretary of Iran’s national security council said that even the most limited of the options would be a “historic nightmare” for the US.
Ali Shamkhani told the news agency: “The 27 US bases that are closest to Iran’s border are already on high alert; they know that the response is likely to include medium-range & long-range missiles.”
Iran summons UK ambassador in Tehran
Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the UK ambassador to Iran, Rob Macaire, following what state media describes as “unacceptable remarks” by Boris Johnson and Ben Wallace.
در پی اظهارات غیرقابل قبول نخستوزیر و وزیران امور خارجه و دفاع انگلیس در خصوص اقدام تروریستی ترامپ در به شهادت رساندن سردار سپهبد قاسم سلیمانی، ابومهدی مهندس و همرزمان ایشان، عصر امروز (سه شنبه ۱۷ دی) راب مک ایر، سفیر انگلیس در تهران به وزارت امور خارجه احضار شد
— خبرگزاری ایسنا (@isna_farsi) January 7, 2020
It comes amid reports that an adviser to Iran’s foreign ministry described the UK as a “partner in crime” to the US over the killing of Suleimani.
Reports that Britain can be considered a partner in the crime of the assassination of Soleimani due to remarks by British cabinet. Follows summoning of UK ambassador. Seeking confirmation. https://t.co/W4LE83Gk7E
— Patrick Wintour (@patrickwintour) January 7, 2020
Updated
Saudi Arabia’s defence minister, Khalid bin Salman, is in London for talks with his UK counterpart to discuss the “war against terrorism and challenges facing our region”.
Had the pleasure of meeting @BWallaceMP. We discussed the strategic partnership between our two countries, mutual efforts in the war against terrorism, and challenges facing our region. pic.twitter.com/mEBBicHXsm
— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) January 7, 2020
Updated
The UK government is putting in place “urgent measures” to protect British nationals and interests amid rising tensions in the Gulf, the defence secretary, Ben Wallace has said. PA Media reports:
Wallace said non-essential personnel had been moved out of Baghdad while Royal Navy warships and military helicopters were on heightened readiness to assist if needed.
In a Commons statement, he again appealed for all sides to “de-escalate” in the wake of the killing of the Iranian military chief Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike.
At the same time he defended the right of the US to act in self-defence, saying Suleimani had been in neighbouring Iraq when he was hit to “co-ordinate murder and attacks on US citizens”.
Before a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the growing crisis, Wallace said the safety and security of UK nationals and interests in the region were of “paramount concern”.
Non-essential personnel had been re-located from Baghdad to the military base at Camp Taji, north of the Iraqi capital, while the Department of Transport was reviewing its advice to British shipping on a daily basis.
“At the same time, Defence are changing the readiness of our forces - including helicopters and ships on standby to assist if the need arises,” he said.
“As part of prudent planning, a small team has been sent to the region to provide additional situational awareness and contingency planning assistance.”
The government has already announced that the Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender and the Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose are to resume duties escorting shipping through the strait of Hormuz.
Updated
Summary
Here’s a summary of events so far:
- Dozens of people have been killed in a crush in the south-eastern Iranian city of Kerman, where hundreds of thousands of mourners have gathered for the burial of the military commander Qassem Suleimani. State media said 56 people had been killed and 213 injured.
- Suleimani’s burial has been postponed due to the size of the crowd. It comes a day after Iranian police said millions gathered to mourn Suleimani in Tehran, in the largest turnout since the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
- The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo has again defended the killing of Suleimani but provided no new evidence to support the US claim that the general posed a direct threat to US lives. At a press conference he accused Iran of propaganda by claiming Suleimani was in Baghdad on a diplomatic mission. Pompeo also said he was “confident” that lawyers were consulted before Donald Trump ordered the strike.
- Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has vowed that Iran will respond “proportionately” to the killing of Suleimani. He described the US-ordered drone strike as an act of state terrorism and claimed Donald Trump had no respect for international law.
- The UK has said it wants to keep its troops in Iraq but will pull out if Baghdad demands. The defence secretary, Ben Wallace said: “If they require us to leave, that is their right and we will respect it.”
- Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the supreme national security council, said 13 “revenge scenarios” were being considered by Tehran. Even the weakest option would prove “a historic nightmare for the Americans”, he said.
- Javad Zarif has also been told he will not get a US visa to travel to the United Nations later this week. He accused the US of violating the 1947 UN HQ Agreement.
- Boris Johnson is due to chair a meeting of the UK national security council to discuss the crisis. The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has travelled to Brussels for talks with his European counterparts.
- Germany is reducing its troop numbers in Iraq for security reasons after the US killing of Suleimani. It is the first coalition withdrawal since the Iraqi parliament voted on Sunday to call for the withdrawal of US forces from the country.
Updated
Downing Street has given an account of a phone call between Boris Johnson and Turkey’s President Erdogan.
The leaders discussed the situation in Iraq following the death of Qasem Soleimani. They agreed on the importance of reducing tensions and finding a diplomatic way through the current crisis, and of continuing to work together in the fight against terror.
“They agreed that Iran cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon and must comply with the terms of the nuclear deal.”
In his press conference, Pompeo accused his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, of being a “propagandist” by claiming that Suleimani was travelling to Baghdad on diplomatic mission when he was killed in the US drone strike.
Pompeo said:
Zarif’s first statement that Sulemiani traveling to Baghdad on a diplomatic mission. Anybody here believe that? Is there any history that would indicate that it was remotely possible that Suleimani had travelled to Baghdad for the idea of conducting a peace mission. We know that wasn’t true.
Zarif is a propagandist of the first order. Most of what you laid out was Iranian propaganda. It’s not new, we’ve heard these same lies before. It’s fundamentally false. He was not there on the diplomatic mission trying to resolve a problem.
There’s been some story that he was representing a Saudi peace deal. I’ve spoken to my Saudi counterparts at great length. I can assure you that they will share my view that he was not there representing some kind of agreement that was going to reduce risk or reduce the risk to the lives of Americans when he was on that trip.
On Trump’s threat to target 52 cultural sites, Pompeo said: “Every action we take will be consistent with the international rule of law.”
He added: “Let me tell you who’s done damage to Persian culture. It’s not the United States of America. It’s the Ayatollah. The real risk to Persian culture does not come from United States of America. That there is there is no mistake about that.
Asked whether lawyers were consulted about Suleimani’s killing, Pomopeo said:
I have never seen this administration engage in an activity of this nature without a thorough and complete legal review. Often the lawyers review all of the options that are being presented to the president in advance of them being presented such that every option that is presented to him has been fully vetted through the legal process.
I’m confident that that was the case here, although I don’t have specific knowledge of that.
Asked if there will be similar strikes against highranking Iranians, Pompeo said:
The President’s been unambiguous in the remarks he made down in Florida, as well as the tweets that he’s put out, about the seriousness with which we take this and the risk attendant that we are deeply aware of, and the preparations we’ve made to prevent those risks, as well as our determination that in the event the Iranians make another bad choice, that the president will respond in a way that he did last week, which was decisive, serious and messaged Iran about the constraints that we are going to place on that regime so that it doesn’t continue to put American lives at risk.
In the end our Iran policy is about protecting and defending the homeland and securing American lives. I know that the efforts that we have taken not only last week with a strike against Suleimani, but the strategy that we’ve employed, has saved American lives. I’m highly confident of that.
56 killed in Kerman
Iran’s Fars News agency now says 56 people killed were killed in the funeral crush in Kerman. It said 35 men and 21 women were killed and 213 people injured.
Updated
In the House of Commons in London, Ben Wallace, the UK defence secretary, is giving an oral statement to MPs updating them on the Iran crisis. What he said at the start did not really go beyond what the UK government has already said about the UK killing of Qassem Suleimani (lukewarm endorsement, combined with a call for restraint and de-escalation) and the most lively opening exchanges came when Wallace clashed with Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, who was responding for the opposition.
Wallace started by saying the UK would always defend the right of countries to defend themselves. He said the US had in the past shown restraint when its bases in Iraq were under attack, and he said the UK was urging all parties to de-escalate the crisis as soon as possible.
Travel advice for Iran and Iraq has been revised, he said. And he said non-essential UK personnel had been moved out of Baghdad. He continued:
As part of prudent planning, a small team has been sent to the region to provide additional situational awareness and contingency planning assistance.
Wallace said the Iraqi parliament had voted to end the coalition presence in Iraq. But that vote was only one part of the process, he said. The UK government was speaking to the Iraqi government about what this might mean, he said. He said the coalition was only in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government.
He said the UK would be urging Iran to take a different path. Its aggressive behaviour, including targeting dissidents in Europe and hijacking civilian ships, was never going to go unchallenged. He continued:
Her Majesty’s government urges Iran to return to the normal behaviour of the country it aspires to be and resist the urge to retaliate … None of us wants conflict, none of us wants our citizens, our friends and our allies to be put at risk.
In response, Corbyn said that Boris Johnson was “hiding behind” his defence secretary and that he should be making the Commons statement himself. He said the “assassination” of Suleimani put British servicemen and women in danger, but Johnson was afraid to say so. Corbyn explained:
Isn’t the truth that he’s scared to stand up to President Trump because he’s hitched his wagon to the prospect of a toxic Trump trade deal?
Instead, at this highly dangerous moment, we find the government giving cover and even expressing sympathy for what is widely regarded as an illegal act, because they’re so determined to keep in with President Trump?
Corbyn asked Wallace if he thought the killing of Suleimani was legal. And he criticised the government for saying that the onus was on Iran to de-escalate. If an American general had been killed, the government would not be telling the US to de-escalate, Corbyn said.
Responding to Corbyn, Wallace said what he was saying was “usual anti-American tripe”.
On the issue of the legality of the killing, Wallace said that it was for the US to make its case. But Wallace also said it was clear that a legal defence of self-defence could be made in this case relating to Suleimani going to Iraq plotting to murder American citizens.
There is more coverage of the statement on our UK politics live blog.
Updated
In his 13-minute exchange with reporters, Pompeo offered no further evidence that Suleimani posed a direct threat to US lives.
This is what he said when challenged about the imminence of the threat the Iranian military commander posed:
Any time a president makes a decision of this magnitude there are multiple pieces of information that come before us. We present that to him in all its broad detail. We evaluated the relevant risks and the opportunity that we thought might present itself at some point. And we could see clearly that not only had Suleimani done all of the things that we have recounted – massacres in Syria, enormous destruction of countries like Lebanon and Iraq … this is all Suleiman’s handiwork.
And then we’d watch to see the continuing terror campaign in the region. We know what happened at the end of last year in December ultimately leading to the death of an American. So if you are looking for imminence you need look no further than the days that led up to the strike that was taken against Suleimani.
In addition to that, you have what we could clearly see were continuing efforts on behalf of this terrorists to build out a network of campaign activities that were going to lead, potentially, to the death of many more Americans. It was the right decision. We got it right. The Department of Defense did excellent work and the president had an entirely legal, appropriate basis, as well as a decision that fit perfectly within our strategy in how to counter the threat of malign activity from Iran more broadly.
Updated
Q: Would you push back against Trump hitting cultural sites in Iran?
“Every action we take will be consistent with international law,” Pompeo said.
“I know the strike saved American lives, I’m confident about that,” Pompeo said.
Q: Were lawyers consulted about the attack on Suleimani?
We never act without full legal vetting, Pompeo said. He said he was confident this took place before the attack.
Updated
Pompeo insists Iran will not get a nuclear weapon on “our watch”. The previous administration chose to “underwrite and appease”, we have chosen to confront, Pompeo said.
Updated
Q: Iran says Suleiman was on a diplomatic mission.
Does anyone believe Suleiman was on a peace mission? We know that isn’t true, Pompeo said. This is Iranian propaganda.
Q: Why did the US deny a visa to Javad Zarif?
We can’t comment on visa issues, Pompeo said.
Q: How imminent was the threat posed by Suleimani?
We could see clearly all of Suleimani’s previous “handiwork”. If you are looking imminence look no further than the days leading up to the attack. It was the right decision, Pompeo said.
Updated
In his opening remarks, Pompeo says Iran is “actively working to undermine the peace process” in Afghanistan.
Updated
You can watch Pompeo’s press conference here:
Funeral death toll increases to 50
The death toll from the crush at Suleimani’s funeral has increased to 50, Reuters reports, citing Iran’s ISNA news agency.
INSA quoted Abbas Amian of the coroner’s office for Kerman province. The funeral, which has been postponed, started in Kerman, Suleimani’s home town.
Updated
The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, is due to give a press conference in the next half an hour.
Today, @SecPompeo will deliver remarks to the media at 10:00 a.m. ET. Watch live here on Twitter, https://t.co/4PAwVBoTVX, or https://t.co/F20UwOMHJg
— Department of State (@StateDept) January 7, 2020
Updated
Syrian state media have more on Putin’s rare visit to Damascus for talks with Iran’s ally Bashar al-Assad.
President al-Assad and President Putin listened to a military briefing by the commander of the Russian forces operating in Syria …
President al-Assad also congratulated the Russian officers and soldiers on the occasion of Christmas, expressing the appreciation of himself and the Syrian people for the sacrifices made by the Russian forces alongside their counterparts in the Syrian Arab Army.
This is from today’s Putin visit and meeting with Assad in Syria. pic.twitter.com/Hgwzkh5FjW
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 7, 2020
Updated
Germany’s minister for EU affairs, Heiko Maas, said Europe could not “shrug its shoulders” at Iran’s decision to breach the terms of the nuclear agreement in a sign of the parlous state of relations.
He said: “We still believe that this is an important agreement that will prevent Iran from coming into possession of a nuclear bomb.”But we will not be able to take note of announcements with a shrug of our shoulders that the commitments in Tehran will no longer be met.”
Maas was speaking ahead of a meeting in Brussels with his French and British counterparts, including the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab.
Updated
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has arrived in Damascus for talks with Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, according to Syrian state media and Russia’s Ifax.
Updated
The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has repeated his call for a diplomatic solution to the crisis as he headed to Brussels for talks with his German and French counterparts.
Updated
Nikki Haley, a former US ambassador to the United Nations and in many eyes a future Republican presidential candidate, has claimed the only people mourning the loss of Suleimani are the “Democrat leadership and our Democrat presidential candidates”.
“You don’t see anyone standing up for Iran,” Haley told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday night. “You’re not hearing any of the Gulf [states], you’re not hearing China, you’re not hearing Russia. The only ones that are mourning the loss of Suleimani are Democrat leadership and our Democrat presidential candidates.”
Updated
Downing Street has said force protection measures for British troops in the region were kept under “constant review”.
“The safety and security of our personnel is of paramount importance. We keep our force protection measures under constant review,” the prime minister’s official spokesman said.
Asked why the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, rather than Boris Johnson would be making a statement on the situation in the Commons, the spokesman said: “The PM leads a cabinet government and the response to events in the Middle East is a collective cabinet response.
“The prime minister continues to speak to world leaders. He has overseen the ministerial response and will chair the national security council later today.”
Updated
Summary
Here’s a summary of events so far:
- Dozens of people have been killed in a crush in the south-eastern Iranian city of Kerman, where hundreds of thousands of mourners have gathered for the burial of the military commander Qassem Suleimani. Emergency officials told state TV that 40 people had been killed and 213 injured.
- Suleimani’s burial has been postponed due to the size of the crowd. It comes a day after Iranian police said millions gathered to mourn Suleimani in Tehran, in the largest turnout since the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
- Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has vowed that Iran will respond “proportionately” to the killing of Suleimani. He described the US-ordered drone strike as an act of state terrorism and claimed Donald Trump had no respect for international law.
- Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the supreme national security council, said 13 “revenge scenarios” were being considered by Tehran. Even the weakest option would prove “a historic nightmare for the Americans”, he said.
- Javad Zarif has also been told he will not get a US visa to travel to the United Nations later this week. He accused the US of violating the 1947 UN HQ Agreement.
- Boris Johnson is due to chair a meeting of the UK national security council to discuss the crisis. The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has travelled to Brussels for talks with his European counterparts.
- Germany is reducing its troop numbers in Iraq for security reasons after the US killing of Suleimani. It is the first coalition withdrawal since the Iraqi parliament voted on Sunday to call for the withdrawal of US forces from the country.
Updated
Javad Zarif insists that Iran respects international law, unlike Donald Trump.
CNN has broadcast more of its interview with the Iranian foreign secretary. In it he explained that Iran’s response to the killing of Suleimani will be proportionate because it abides by international law.
Speaking about Friday’s drone strike in Baghdad, Javad Zarif said:
The United States violated three principles: Iraqi sovereignty and the agreement they had with Iraq, they got a response from the Iraqi parliament [to expel US troops]; they violated the emotions of the people, they will get a response from the people; they killed one of our most revered commanders and they took responsibility for it. This is state terrorism ... and we will respond, but we will respond proportionately, not disproportionately because we are committed to law. We are law-abiding people, we are not lawless like President Trump.
He added:
We have people on our side in this region. That’s much more important. Beautiful military equipment doesn’t rule the world, people rule the world.
He [Trump] needs to wake up and apologise. He has to apologise, he has to change course. He cannot add mistake upon another mistake. He is just making it worse for America. He is destroying the US constitution, he is destroying the US political process, he is destroying the rule of law in the United States.
Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called President Trump's decision to order the airstrike that killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani an act of "state terrorism" in an interview with CNN. https://t.co/NHxEPJhTTx pic.twitter.com/NuKXgILpWF
— New Day (@NewDay) January 7, 2020
Updated
Javad Zarif prevented by US from attending UN
Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has been told he will not get a US visa to travel to the United Nations later this week, AP reports
Javad Zarif told CBS This Morning, that the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, informed the UN secretary general, who in turn relayed to Zarif, that they did not have time to review my request.
It’s not clear that Zarif’s request has been formally rejected, which would trigger legal technicalities that could affect future visa applications.
A US official said the visa application had not been processed but declined to comment on whether it had been formally denied. The State Department cited visa confidentiality laws that bar the release of such information with certain limited exceptions.
Zarif had applied for the visa in order to speak to a UN Security Council session Thursday about the importance of upholding the UN charter.
Under its obligations as the host country of the UN headquarters, the US is required in most circumstances to issue visas to foreign officials for meetings at the world body. However, there are exceptions and the US has severely restricted the movements of Iranian diplomats in New York in the past.
Denying me a visa in violation of 1947 UNHQ Agreement pales in comparison to:
— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 7, 2020
-Pompeo's threat to starve Iranians (crime against humanity)
-Trump's bluster about cultural heritage (war crime)
-#EconomicTerrorism
-Cowardly assassination
But what are they really afraid of? Truth?
Updated
Suleimani's burial postponed
Suleimani’s planned burial in his home town of Kerman has been postponed due to the size of the crowd, after 40 mourners were killed in the crush, according to state media.
Fars News Agency said the revised timing for Suleimani’s burial will be announced shortly.
مسئول کمیته تشییع پیکر سردار سپهبد حاج قاسم سلیمانی: مراسم تدفین به دلیل ازدحام جمعیت به زمان دیگری موکول شد. زمان دقیق مراسم تدفین بزودی اعلام میشود. https://t.co/KqRZYTtRPB
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) January 7, 2020
Updated
40 killed in funeral crush
The death toll in the crush at Suleimani’s burial has risen to 40, according to the state-backed Fars News agency.
Fars cited Iran’s head of emergency services, Pirhossein Kolivand, for the revised figure. It also said 213 people were injured in the incident.
Updated
Iran will respond 'proportionately'
The killing of Suleimani by the US was an act of state terrorism and Iran will respond proportionately, the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has told CNN.
He said: “This is an act of aggression against Iran, and it amounts to an armed attack against Iran, and we will respond. But we will respond proportionately.”
Zarif also said Donald Trump was threatening an international war crime by pledging to attack cultural sites if Iran retaliates against Suleimani’s killing.
“He has no respect for international law. That he is prepared to commit war crimes, because attacking cultural sites is a war crime, this disproportionate response is a war crime. But he doesn’t care it seems about international law.
Has made the US more secure? That’s the price for arrogance, for ignorance, for lack of respect. Their days in our region are numbered, not because anybody will take any action against him but because they are not welcome.
The United States has to wake up to the reality that the people of this region are enraged. That the people of this region want the United States out. The United States has been in in this region for many years and has not brought itself or the region any security. We leave it at that.”
#NEW: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif sat down with @fpleitgenCNN as the country deals with the death of Soleimani.@JZarif: "Attacking cultural sites is a war crime...but he doesn't care it seems about international law...Their days in our region are numbered." @cnni pic.twitter.com/W3LjGGcQSm
— CNN Early Start (@EarlyStart) January 7, 2020
Updated
Fars new agency has released helicopter footage showing the huge crowds that have gathered for Suleimani’s burial in his home town of Kerman.
مُلک سلیمان...
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) January 7, 2020
تصاویر هوایی بهتآور از حضور میلیونی کرمانیها pic.twitter.com/03lTk0DErj
Updated
Iran’s state media have revised down the casualty figures from the funeral crush to 32 and 190 injured.
Fars News agency cited Iran’s head of emergency services, Pirhossein Kolivand, for the revised figure.
رئیس سازمان اورژانس کشور: فوتیهای ناشی از ازدحام در مراسم تشییع میلیونی حاج قاسم سلیمانی ۳۲ نفر است. حدود ۱۹۰ نفر نیز مصدوم شدهاند.
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) January 7, 2020
Updated
Germany is reducing its troop numbers in Iraq for security reasons after the US killing of Suleimani.
It is the first coalition withdrawal since the Iraqi parliament voted on Sunday to call for the withdrawal of US forces from the country. The non-binding resolution has prompted a chaotic response from US officials.
The German decision – set out in a letter from the defence minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, and the foreign minister, Heiko Maas, to the German parliament – underlines the extent to which the assassination may have weakened the years-long efforts of the coalition forces to fight Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Nato has already announced that all training of Iraqi forces has been suspended.
Updated
Iran considering '13 revenge scenarios'
A senior Iranian official said Tehran was considering 13 scenarios to avenge Suleimani’s killing, according to the state-backed Fars news agency.
“We will take revenge, a hard and definitive revenge,” the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Gen Hossein Salami, told mourners in Kerman.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and military commanders have said Iranian retaliation for the US action on Friday would match the scale of Soleimani’s killing but that it would be at a time and place of Tehran’s choosing.
Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the supreme national security council, said 13 “revenge scenarios” were being considered, Fars news agency reported. Even the weakest option would prove “a historic nightmare for the Americans”, he said.
Top Security Official: Iran Has 13 Scenario to Avenge Gen. Soleimani's Assassination, Even Weakest One Is Historical Nightmare for US pic.twitter.com/2EMNEaNkl4
— Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) January 7, 2020
Trump has threatened strikes on 52 Iranian targets, including cultural sites, if Iran retaliates.
Updated
Boris Johnson is to chair a meeting of the national security council and the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, is to travel to Brussels for talks with his European counterpart, PA Media reports.
The so-called “E3” – Britain, Germany and France – have jointly called for “de-escalation” of the tensions between the US and Iran.
The Ministry of Defence refused to comment on reports that it is stepping up contingency plans to evacuate military and civilian personnel from neighbouring Iraq amid fears they could be targets for Iranian reprisals.
The Times reported that a team of about 20 senior military planners and liaison officers had been dispatched to the embassy in Baghdad over the weekend.
The Foreign Office was coy over reports that it was scaling back staffing at British embassies in the Middle East.
A spokesman said: “The British embassies in both Baghdad and Tehran are open. The safety and security of our staff is of paramount importance and we keep our security posture under regular review.”
The defence secretary, Ben Wallace, is due to update MPs – returning to Westminster following their Christmas break – on the latest situation in the region.
Raab also is due to fly to Washington later this week to meet US counterpart, Mike Pompeo, after the secretary of state criticised the lack of support by the Europeans – including the UK – for the US action.
Mark Esper, the US defence secretary, has been forced to deny that America was about to withdraw its troops from Iraq, where the strike on General Soleimani took place.
A leaked letter from a US Marine Corps commander said: “We respect your sovereign decision to order our departure.” It followed a vote in the Iraqi parliament on Sunday, backed by the prime minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, calling for the withdrawal of all foreign troops including British forces.
Johnson emphasised the need to maintain a coalition presence in Iraq against Islamic State when he spoke by telephone to Abdul-Mahdi on Monday.
About 400 UK troops are stationed in Iraq in the fight against Islamic State, while the US has 5,200, prompting fears of a withdrawal that could cripple the battle against the terror group.
Updated
Summary
Welcome to live coverage of the continuing aftermath from the US killing of Qassem Suleimani amid reports of a deadly crush at his funeral procession.
According to an initial state TV report, 35 people were killed in the incident at Kerman, Suleimani’s home town, where his burial is taking place.
Videos posted online showed people lying lifeless on a road, with others shouting and trying to help them. The crush was reported to have started when the burial procession got under way.
Iranian TV gave the casualty toll in its online report, without saying where it obtained the information.
Pirhossein Koulivand, the head of Iran’s emergency medical services, earlier spoke by telephone to state TV and confirmed the incident took place.
“Unfortunately as a result of the stampede, some of our compatriots have been injured and some have been killed during the funeral processions,” he said.
A procession in Tehran on Monday drew more than 1 million people in the Iranian capital, crowding both main thoroughfares and side streets in Tehran.
Updated