America and Iran stepped back from the brink of war last night, but the region remains a powder keg.
Britain is preparing to evacuate thousands of UK citizens from the Middle East as experts fear the threat of war is far from over as Iran is expected to direct its proxy militias in the region to carry out more bloodshed.
More than 7,000 Brits will fly home from Lebanon alone as Iran has a large contingent of Hezbollah supporters there. The Foreign Office advised against all but essential travel to the country.
Embassies throughout the world remain on high-alert against attacks and are protected by increased security.
Not only are local forces loyal to Iran a threat, but there are armed groups with links to Iran throughout the whole of Asia and that are also a threat in South America and Africa.
The proxies could be anything from State supporters like the Shia sect Assad regime in Syria to Shia militia groups throughout Iraq and Syria, who are heavily-armed and supported by Iran.
There are also Lebanese Hezbollah groups, funded by Iran as well as the Popular Mobilisation Units, which comprise of more than 40 mostly Shia militia groups.
A senior British security source told the Mirror: “The whole region remains a powder keg. Lebanon is very tense and could quickly erupt as Iran urges its proxies to take action, militants are generating hatred across the country.
“We have a team ready to fly out and scope out how we would extract people.
“The priority is to locate available ships or ferries that we can hire and get into Lebanon and transit people to Cyprus.”
A similar operation was carried out in 2006 during a war between Hezbollah and Israel.
However, influential Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr yesterday called on militia groups not to carry out attacks. He said: “I call on the Iraqi factions to be deliberate, patient, and not to start military actions, and to shut down the extremist voices of some rogue elements until all political, methods have been exhausted.”
US President Donald Trump yesterday boasted that “Iran appeared to be standing down” .
He revealed that no Americans were killed or injured as Tehran fired ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq.
Most were aimed at the al-Assad base, some 120 miles west of Baghdad and two hitting a target in Erbil, north Iraq. Two rockets fell inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign missions, but caused no casualties.
The attacks were in response to the killing of the Iranian’s top General Qasem Suleimani by the US last week.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the missile attacks were a “slap on the face” of the US and demanded US troops leave Iraq.
In an address at The White House, Mr Trump said: “As long as I’m President Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. For far too long, all the way back to 1979, nations have tolerated Iran’s destructive behaviour in the Middle East and beyond.
“Those days are over. Iran has been the leading sponsor of terrorism, and their pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens the civilised world.”
He then called on the UK to join him in abandoning the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – commonly known as the Iran Nuclear deal.
It eliminated Tehran’s stockpile of medium-enriched uranium.
The President closed his address speaking directly to Iranian leaders.
He said that the States wants them to have a “great future, one that you deserve – one of prosperity at home and harmony with the nations of the world. The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.”
Earlier this week, Trump had caused international uproar after threatening to attack Iranian cultural sites - only to row back following statements from his defence secretary dismissing such actions as illegal.
The missile attack on US targets was the first to be claimed directly by the Iranian government.
Senior brass in Tehran said the aim was not to inflict loss of life but to prove to the States what military capabilities they now possess.
