Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Frances Perraudin (now), Kate Lyons,Maanvi Singh and Joan E Greve (earlier)

Iraq says it received warning from Tehran about strikes on airbases – as it happened

This live blog has closed. You can follow the latest updates on our new live blog:

Summary

  • 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 this morning.
  • The Iraqi prime minister’s office said they 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:

We just gave [the US] a slap in the face last night. But that is not equivalent to what they did.

  • 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.

Updated

The Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has condemned Iran’s missile strike against US forces in Iraq, while a Nato official says there were no casualties among the military alliances personnel in the country.

The Iraqi mission consists of several hundred staff from allied nations and non-Nato countries. In a message to the Associated Press, the Nato official who was not authorised to speak publicly said they were “keeping the situation under close review”.

Meanwhile, in a message posted on Twitter, Stoltenberg urged Iran to refrain from further violence.

Updated

French citizens in the Israeli city of Haifa should exercise caution in light of the tensions in the Middle East, the French Foreign Ministry has said in an update to security advice on its website.

“Following the recent escalation in tensions in the region, the city of Haifa has been the subject of explicit threats,” it said in a statement, without giving any more precise details.

Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office doesn’t specifically mention Haifa, but advises visitors to the travel section of its website: “There is a possibility of an increased threat against western interests and the security situation could worsen with little warning.”

Updated

Slovenia’s defence ministry has said its six soldiers stationed in northern Iraq with a German-led training mission will be evacuated after their base came under Iranian missile attack overnight.

The Slovenian ministry said the soldiers were unhurt in the attack near Irbil as they were in the base’s shelter during the strike.

As we reported on Tuesday, Germany is reducing its troop numbers in Iraq for security reasons after the death of the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad last week.

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.

A German Bundeswehr soldier involved in training with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters at Zeravani training camp in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, 21 August 2019.
A German Bundeswehr soldier involved in training with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters at Zeravani training camp in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, 21 August 2019. Photograph: Gailan Haji/EPA

Updated

We’ve produced a useful visual guide to the latest developments in the region, as Iranian strikes on US airbases in Iraq intensified the crisis sparked by the US killing of Suliemani last week.

Updated

Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, said: “Isn’t the truth, Mr Speaker, that this prime minister is unable to stand up to President Trump because he has hitched his wagon to a trade deal with the United States and that prioritises everything else that he ought to be considering?”

Johnson replied: “This is absolute fiction. But what I will say is that the UK will continue to work for de-escalation in the region.”

A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament’s Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he speaks during Prime Minister’s Question time (PMQs) in the House of Commons in London on January 8, 2020.
A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament’s Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he speaks during Prime Minister’s Question time (PMQs) in the House of Commons in London on January 8, 2020. Photograph: HO/PRU/AFP via Getty Images

Updated

Boris Johnson: Suleimani had 'blood on his hands'

Boris Johnson has told parliament that Qassem Suleimani had the “blood of British troops on his hands”.

Answering a question from the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, during the first prime minister’s questions since the British general election, Johnson said the US had the right to defend its bases.

During exchanges that were interpreted as a further move by Britain towards the US position on the killing of the Iranian general last week, Johnson also sidestepped questions from Corbyn about the legality of the killing.

“Clearly the strict issue of legality is not for the UK to determine since it was not our operation,” said Johnson.

“But I think most reasonable people would accept that the United States has the right to protect its bases and its personnel.”

He added that the senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards figure had supplied “improvised explosive devices to terrorists, which I’m afraid killed and maimed British troops”.

He added: “That man had the blood of British troops on his hands.”

Johnson also left open the question of whether Britain would abide by Iraqi wishes for US and British troops to withdraw from the country if the government followed through on a vote taken by the Iraqi parliament. He added that Britain would work to secure the security of people in Iraq from Isis.

Updated

Prime minister’s questions is taking place in the UK parliament and Boris Johnson has been asked about escalating tensions between the US and Iran. You can read live updates from the Guardian’s Andrew Sparrow here:

Updated

Nechirvan Barzani, the president of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish north, has issued a televised statement, saying that he does not want Iraq to “become a battleground” and that it needs the support of coalition forces to help tackle Isis.

Kuwait says its state-run Kuna news agency’s Twitter account was hacked and posted a false story about US troops withdrawing from the country. There are more than 13,000 US troops in Kuwait.

Updated

Major airlines have cancelled Iran and Iraq flights and rerouted others away from both countries’ airspace, Reuters reports.

Germany’s Lufthansa, Dubai-based Emirates and the low-cost flydubai were among airlines that cancelled flights, as the US Federal Aviation Administration barred American carriers from the area. Several other carriers will continue operations over the affected airspace.

Updated

Iran will not hand over black box from crashed plane

This is from the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour:

Iran says it will not hand over the black box of the Ukrainian plane to Boeing. The black box containing vital records of how the plane crashed has been located in a field among the debris of the plane outside Tehran.

It is not clear whether Iranian authorities are disputing the legality of handing over the black box to Boeing, or whether they are seeking to inspect the box themselves.

The Ukrainian government has deleted a tweet saying the plane’s crash was the result of an accident.

The news has fuelled speculation that there is something suspicious about the downing of the plane, with one theory doing the rounds on social media that Iran could have mistaken the plane for an incoming US military aircraft.

Updated

Iranian president says US forces will be 'kicked out' of region

Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, has tweeted that the country’s “final answer” to the assassination of Gen Qassem Suleimani will be to “kick all US forces out of the region”.

Updated

From the Guardian’s Michael Safi:

Updated

Poland’s foreign ministry says its ambassador to Iraq, Beata Peksa, has been recalled to Poland for security reasons amid rising tensions between the US and Iran, reports the Associated Press.

The evacuation came at Britain’s request because Poland’s diplomatic mission is located in the British embassy. According to Poland’s foreign ministry, only the ambassador was evacuated while its embassy in Baghdad continues its work.

Updated

This is from the Telegraph’s Middle East correspondent, Raf Sanchez:

Updated

Iran warned Iraq that missile strikes would begin, says Iraqi PM

The Twitter account for the Iraqi prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, has issued a statement saying he 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 Iraq.

The statement said there had not been any Iraqi casualties reported so far and they had not been told of losses by coalition forces.

Here is a passage, translated using Google translate: “We have called, and we call on all, to exercise restraint … adhere to international covenants, respect the Iraqi state and the decisions of its government, and help it to contain and overcome this serious crisis threatening it, the region, and the world with a devastating, comprehensive war.”

Updated

EU commission president calls for end to use of weapons in US-Iran crisis

The EU commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, has commented on tensions between Iran and the US. She said “the use of weapons must stop now to give space for dialogue”.

Updated

The Twitter account for Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has issued the following statements:

Updated

The Guardian’s international correspondent Michael Safi has this analysis of last night’s events.

The attacks will provide an opportunity for hawks inside the Donald Trump administration to ratchet up the conflict with Iran – but also potentially a pathway out of the crisis.

The Iranian strikes were heavy on symbolism. The missiles were launched around 1.30am in Iraq, roughly the same time as the drone strike that killed Suleimani on Friday morning. Top Iranian advisers and semi-official media outlets tweeted pictures of the country’s flag during the attack, mirroring Donald Trump’s tweet as the first reports of Suleimani’s death were emerging. The Revolutionary Guards dubbed the operation “Martyr Suleimani”. Videos of the missiles being launched were released to Iranian media outlets.

But in their immediate aftermath, the attacks appear to have been carefully calibrated to avoid US casualties – fired at bases that were already on high alert.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned that his country would strike back hard against anyone who attacked it, as he reiterated his support for the US killing of the Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani last week.

“Whoever tries to attack us will be dealt the strongest blow,” Netanyahu said, according to Reuters. He said Israel “stands completely” behind Trump’s decision and that the president should be congratulated for acting “swiftly, boldly and resolutely”.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

Updated

The US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has said preliminary reports on the Iranian strikes were “positive”.

“Initial assessments are positive and we pray those reports are true. Our military is by far the strongest in the world and our cause is just,” Friedman, a former Trump bankruptcy lawyer, said at an event hosted by the rightwing Kohelet Policy Forum in Jerusalem.

Updated

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has told the chief of the Australian defence force “to take whatever actions are necessary” to protect Australian troops and diplomats in Iraq after Iran began bombing allied military bases. Morrison said all defence and diplomatic staff in the country were safe, reports Guardian Australia’s Ben Doherty.

Updated

David Smith, the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief, has written about how the US clash with Iran echoes the march into the Iraq war.

A Republican president facing a tough re-election campaign and widely viewed as hopelessly out of his depth. Bureaucrats itching to turn US military firepower on a Middle Eastern regime they claim without evidence is plotting an imminent attack. Compliant sections of the media that put flag-waving jingoism ahead of skeptical scrutiny.

So it was in late 2002, when President George W Bush’s administration built unstoppable momentum towards invading Iraq, promising to destroy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) that never existed. Nearly two decades later the potential target is not Iraq but Iran, with many of the same concerns over false pretexts and official lies.

Ukraine’s foreign minister has released more information about the people onboard the plane bound for Kiev that crashed minutes after taking off from Tehran’s main international airport. Among the plane’s passengers were 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians (two passengers and nine crew), 10 Swedish people, four people from Afghanistan, three from Germany and three from the UK.

Updated

Ukraine’s national security council has confirmed that 11 Ukrainian citizens died in the crash of an Ukrainian airliner in Iran, including nine crew members.

In a separate statement, reported by Reuters, Ukraine International Airlines said it was suspending flights to Tehran indefinitely and that the crashed plane had its last scheduled maintenance on Monday. The airline said it was doing everything possible to find out the causes of the crash and that it was providing all possible assistance to the relatives of those killed.

Updated

The Conservative MP Tom Tugenhat, who was chairman of the defence committee during the last UK parliament, has been speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. He said the Iran attack on US military bases in Iraq was “not hugely surprising”.

He said it would be “extremely welcome” if the action marked the end of the tensions and both sides could “get back to talking”.

As far as I’m aware, it is the first time Iranian ballistic missiles have been fired directly at US bases. That is slightly caveating it, because of course the Iranians have been firing missiles via proxy for many, many years … If both sides can declare victory and get back to talking, then that would be extremely welcome.

Updated

The Ukrainian embassy to Iran has said preliminary information suggests engine failure caused the crash of a Ukrainian airliner in Iran, rather than a missile attack or act of terrorism. Reuters reports that the embassy also said in a statement that 168 people had bought tickets for the flight.

Updated

Iran's supreme leader says US given 'slap in the face'

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, is still speaking in Qoms. He’s now paying tribute to Qassam Suleimani. “His martyrdom showed that the revolution is alive,” he says. The crowd in the hall is audibly crying and chanting “death to America”.

He addresses the missile strikes in Iraq only briefly. “We just gave them a slap in the face last night,” he says. “Retaliation, these military actions, do not compensate for the issue. What is important is the ending of American presence.”

Now he’s moved on to elucidating the evils of the US presence in the region.

Updated

Here’s the full statement from the UK foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, responding to the Iranian missile strikes against US troops in Iraq:

We condemn this attack on Iraqi military bases hosting coalition – including British – forces. We are concerned by reports of casualties and use of ballistic missiles.

We urge Iran not to repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks, and instead to pursue urgent de-escalation. A war in the Middle East would only benefit Daesh and other terrorist groups.

Updated

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, is speaking in the holy city of Qom. He is addressing a ceremony to commemorate a 1978 massacre of protesters by the Shah’s security forces. He says he will first discuss this anniversary before his talks about Qassam Suleimani and – we expect – the missile strikes overnight.

Updated

Dominic Raab condemns ‘reckless and dangerous’ missile attacks

Updated

The Guardian’s Beijing bureau researcher, Lillian Yang, reports that Iran’s Beijing embassy posted about the missile strikes on Weibo today, saying: “The end of the US’s evil force in western Asia has begun.”

Updated

Reuters reports that Iran’s president will deliver a speech to the nation, Iranian state television said on Wednesday after Tehran launched missile strikes on U.S. targets in Iraq.

It did not give a timing for the speech by President Hassan Rouhani.

Iraq claims no Iraqis were harmed in missile strikes

No Iraqis were harmed in Wednesday morning’s attacks on bases by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, according to the security cell of the country’s prime minister’s office. The cell says the missile barrage lasted for 30 minutes from 1.45am and included 22 projectiles, 17 of which landed on the Al Asad base, including two that failed to explode. A further five missiles struck the city of Erbil in the north.

So far we’ve had the Iraqis, the Canadians and the Norwegians say they suffered no casualties, and the US is saying “so far so good”. This supports the idea that Iran carefully designed this strike to satisfy its domestic audience that Qassem Suleimani’s death had been publicly avenged while also providing room for the US not to respond and to de-escalate the conflict.

Updated

Iranian state media claim at least 80 US casualties in missile strikes

Our reporter Michael Safi writes that while this claim is “almost certainly not true”, it allows Iran to “beat their chest and claim victory”.

In analysis for the Guardian, Safi writes that the highly symbolic missile strikes potentially offer “a pathway out of the crisis”.

In their immediate aftermath, the attacks appear to have been carefully calibrated to avoid US casualties – fired at bases that were already on high alert.

Iran’s foreign minister has said the strikes have concluded and characterised them as self-defence within the boundaries of international law – not the first shots in a war.

Trump, in his first comments after the strikes, also sought to play them down.

If Trump’s assessment of the damage holds, Wednesday’s strikes might be an opportunity for both sides to de-escalate without losing face. Iran will be able to say it took violent revenge for Suleimani’s death and pivot to a campaign of proxy warfare – with which it feels more comfortable, against a vastly more powerful adversary – and diplomatic pressure to eject American forces from Iraq.

The US can also step back, shrugging off the retaliation as being of no significant consequence. That is the best-case scenario, but it rests on two risky premises: that more than a dozen missiles struck bases hosting US military personnel without substantial damage or casualties; and that the White House will resist any urge to respond.

Updated

'No chance' of finding survivors of plane crash, says Iran's Red Crescent

The Red Crescent organisation in Iran has confirmed that all those who were on board the Boeing flight from Tehran to Ukraine, which crashed minutes after takeoff, will have died. The plane was believed to have been carrying 180 people.

Early indications suggested the crash did not appear to have links to Wednesday morning’s missile strikes on bases in Iraq hosting US and coalition troops.

Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard, who is a combat veteran as well as being a Congresswoman, was asked about the missile attacks tonight. She said that hearing about the attack at al-Asad airbase “brought back a flood of memories” from when she served in Iraq in 2005, during which time her camp “received daily mortar attacks, daily rocket attacks”.

“I just checked my phone, and I’ve got a flood of messages from friends of mine who I deployed with, some who are still serving in the National Guard or Reserves or on active duty. And honestly, they’re texting me saying: ‘What the fuck is going on?’

“Those of us who have served there understand very clearly the serious ramifications and the cost of what is happening here and the fact that we do not need to be here nor should we be in the position, as a country, of waging yet another wasteful, unnecessary war.”

Updated

Boeing has released a statement about reports that one of their passenger planes crashed minutes after takeoff from Tehran airport, though there’s not much information in the statement at this stage.

Canada has confirmed that its deployed personnel are safe and accounted for following the missile attacks.

Jon Ostrower, a self-confessed aviation geek and the editor-in-chief of The Air Current, has tweeted a screenshot of Flight Radar, which shows the plane that crashed taking off from Tehran.

He has also clarified the plane was a 737-800, not the 737 Max, which has been grounded since March after two fatal crashes.

Passenger plane crashes minutes after take-off from Tehran airport

Hello, this is Kate Lyons taking over from Maanvi Singh.

Some more breaking news out of Iran, a passenger plane carrying 180 people bound for the Ukrainian capital Kiev has crashed a few minutes after taking off from Tehran’s main international airport, according to Iranian media outlets.

The Boeing 737-800 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines took off from Imam Khomeini international airport at 6.12am Tehran time and crashed about eight minutes later, according to flight tracking websites.

At this stage, the crash appears to have no link to Wednesday morning’s missile strikes on bases in Iraq hosting US and coalition troops.

The story is just breaking, we’ll bring you updates in the blog and in our full news wrap here.

Updated

Where things stand

  • Iran launched more than a dozen missiles at US military sites in Iraq. There is no official word yet on the number of casualties and injured.
  • The attacks were in retaliation for the killing of top Iranian general Qassem Suleimani, who US forces killed in a strike last week.
  • Donald Trump has said little about the attacks so far, tweeting “All is good!” and indicating that he would make a statement in the morning.
  • The Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif said that his country has taken and “concluded” what he believed to be “measures in self-defense”, indicating that the attacks were over, for now.
  • The FAA issued restrictions on flying over Iran and Iraq.
  • 2020 presidential candidates stated support for Americans overseas and a desire to deescalate as news of the attack trickled in.
  • British forces are on standby to respond to as the crisis escalates. The Australian prime minister confirmed that Australian defense and diplomatic staff in the country were now safe.

Iranian’s Fars news agency reported that a jet bound for Ukraine crashed in Iran shortly after taking off from Tehran, possibly due to technical issues. There’s no further information available at this time.

Here’s a map of all the flights moving out of the airspace over Iran, Iraq and the Gulf.

The FAA issued restrictions on flying over Iraq and Iran just over an hour ago.

The Australian prime minister has confirmed that no Australians were hurt in the strikes. There’s no official word yet on US casualties. Unconfirmed reports indicate that some Iraqi nationals may have been hurt or killed.

Donald Trump: 'All is well!'

The president has tweeted after hours of silence. “Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good!” he said, adding that he will be making a statement tomorrow morning.

The White House has released Trump’s schedule for tomorrow, which looks very thin. He has an intelligence briefing at 2:15 ET, but apparently has nothing else scheduled for the day.

Updated

Iran's foreign minister issues a statement

Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif has tweeted a statement, saying “we do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression”.

It’s worth noting that Zarif said Iran took and concluded attacks against the US, suggesting that his country won’t escalate further, for now.

Updated

Meanwhile, 2020 presidential candidates have made statements urging de-esclation and expressing support for US troops in the region.

Elizabeth Warren, who spoke to supporters in New York along with Julián Castro – her former 2020 competitor – started by addressing the Iranian attacks.

Joe Biden who earlier had said that Trump “is bringing us dangerously close to starting” another war, said he’s holding off on commenting “until we know more”, and added that he and his wife Jill Biden are praying for troop and American overseas.

Pete Buttigieg also expressed support forAmericans overseas.

Amy Klobuchar reportedly skipped a fundraiser in DC this evening due to the developments in the Middle East.

Updated

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has told the chief of the Australian defense force to “to take whatever actions are necessary to protect and defend” Australian troops and diplomats in Iraq.

This may involve pulling Australian troops out of the country. Earlier, the foreign minister Marise Payne said Australia was contemplating the “possible implications” of being forced to withdraw troops by the Iraqi government.

Australia’s military commitment in the Middle East is numerically small - about 450 personnel - but as an unswerving US ally, Australia’s presence in Iraq is symbolically significant, and its withdrawal would be a blow to the US-led coalition.

The Federal Aviation Commission has restricted flights over Iran, Iraq, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf.

It looks like Trump may not be giving a televised address after all. The White House press secretary has told reporters that the president won’t be addressing the nation tonight.

He may deliver statements or updates via tweet.

News of the attacks has had an effect on the markets.

Asian markets have fallen on news of the Iranian missile strikes.

The Australian Stock Exchange’s benchmark index, the ASX200, was down 0.92% at a little after 12.30pm, Australian east coast time, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index tumbled 1.14% on open.

No sector was spared the sell-off. Among the leading losers in Australia was flag carrier Qantas, which plunged 4.37%, but healthcare companies and financial sector groups were also down.

Shares in each of the big four banks that dominate the Australian financial sector fell more than 1.2%.

Updated

Here's what we know so far

For readers just catching up, here’s a recap from the Guardian’s Michael Safi in Beirut and Julian Borger in London:

Iran has launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at US and coalition military sites in Iraq in retaliation for the killing last week of top general Qassem Suleimani.

Al-Asad air base in Iraq’s Anbar province, which hosts a US contingent, was hit at least six times, the US military confirmed. The Pentagon said at least one other base in the northern city of Erbil was targeted in the attack which commenced around 1.30am local time on Wednesday (10.30pm GMT).

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), of which Suleimani was a member, issued a statement saying: “The brave soldiers of IRGC’s aerospace unit have launched a successful attack with tens of ballistic missiles on Al Asad military base in the name of martyr General Qassem Suleimani.”

There were also unconfirmed reports of missile attacks elsewhere in Iraq.

The semi-official Tasnim new agency reported a second wave of strikes against the al-Asad base took place at around 3.20am.

Read on for more context.

Updated

The White House is planning a possible televised address from Donald Trump tonight, according to multiple reports. The White House has yet to confirm any plans.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency is now quoting Iranian officials warning that if the US retaliates against these strikes in Iraq, Hezbollah will fire rockets at Israel — a threat to widen the conflict and bring Iran’s regional allies into play.

Updated

A top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader posted an image of the Iranian flag as news steams in of multiple attacks on US military sites.

The tweet seems to be a counterpoint to Donald Trump’s tweet featuring a low-resolution image of the American flag, following a strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.

Updated

Nancy Pelosi says she’s “closely monitoring the situation”, adding that she’d like “needless provocations from the Administration” end.

In the meantime, defense secretary Mark Esper and secretary of state Mike Pompeo have arrived at the White House. According to CNN, Esper was carrying a large bag.

Updated

The Department of Defense has confirmed: “At approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq. It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil.”

The assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, Jonathan Hoffman, said that the US is “working on initial battle damage assessments”:

In recent days and in response to Iranian threats and actions, the Department of Defense has taken all appropriate measures to safeguard our personnel and partners. These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region.

As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region.

Updated

A map of the air base.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency has just reported a second wave of attacks has commenced against the al-Asad airbase in Iraq, according to the Guardian’s Michael Safi. More to come.

Updated

Nancy Pelosi received a phone call from Mike Pence, as she was about to open the House for new session. The speaker’s chief of staff said Pelosi called the vice president back minutes after presiding over the House, and was briefed on Iran’s attacks.

Pelosi reportedly received a note with news of the attacks in the interim.

Iran has reportedly fired at multiple US facilities in Iraq

Missiles have fired from Iran at Erbil in northern Iraq, as well as Al Asad Air Base in the west, according to ABC News.

The Guardian has not yet independently confirmed this report.

The White House press secretary said that Donald Trump “has been briefed and is monitoring the situation” in Iraq.

Updated

From The Guardian’s Julian Borger and Patrick Wintour:

An airbase in Iraq’s Anbar province that hosts a US contingent has come under fire, the US military confirmed, after a day in which Donald Trump and the Iranian leadership exchanged threats of retaliatory attacks.

Initial reports said al-Asad base was hit by six rockets. It has previously been a target of an Iranian-backed Shia militia, Kata’ib Hezbollah, whose attacks on US and coalition troops triggered tit-for-tat strikes that culminated in the killing on Friday of top Iranian general Qassem Suleimani.

There were also unconfirmed reports of missile attacks elsewhere in Iraq.

Earlier in the day, the secretary of Iran’s national security council, Ali Shamkhani, said 13 “revenge scenarios” were being considered in the wake of the assassination of Qassem Suleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds force, and that even the most limited options would be a “historic nightmare” for the US.

Ali Shamkhani told the Tasnim 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.”

Trump responded to Iranian threats in remarks to the press at the White House “We’re totally prepared. And likewise, we’re prepared to attack if we have to,” he said.

Updated

According to Iran state TV, Tehran has launched “tens” of surface-to-surface missiles toward Iraq’s Ain Assad air base, which houses US troops.

US military officials have confirmed to reporters that at least six rockets fell on the air base.

Updated

Iran launches missiles on Iraqi air base where US troops are housed

In a statement, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said: “The brave soldiers of IRGC’s aerospace unit have launched a successful attack with tens of ballistic missiles on Al Assad military base in the name of martyr Gen.Qasem Soleimani”.

There is no information yet on any casualties or damage from the rockets. The Guardian will have more updates soon.

Updated

Republican senators block a resolution to declare that attacks on cultural sites are war crimes

Although Donald Trump has walked back threats to attack Iranian cultural sites, which are forbidden under international law, Democratic senators today tried to pass a resolution rebuking such attacks.

Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, tried to get unanimous consent to pass the resolution, but his efforts were blocked by the Senate armed services committee chair Jim Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma.

Inhofe said he appreciated “the spirit” of Markey’s resolution but criticized its lack of “specificity”.

Updated

California Representative Duncan Hunter posted his resignation letters to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and California’s governor Gavin Newsom.

Trump campaign plans to spend $10m on a Super Bowl ad

The president has bought 60 seconds of air time during what’s likely to be the most-watched television event of the year.

In a statement to The Guardian’s Daniel Strauss, the Trump reelection campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh confirmed that the president has reserved time:

We have been in discussions with Fox since the fall and reserved time in December. We paid for the ad last week. We bought 60 seconds of time.

President Trump made the unprecedented decision to keep the campaign open following his first election, which allows to do things like buying a Super Bowl ad. We got in early, which gave us prime ad position early in the game. This is a clear indication that we’re ramping up the campaign, which also includes unprecedented pushes for black, women, Latino, and women voters.

The news was first reported by Politico.

Report: Pompeo tells diplomats not to meet with Iranian opposition groups amid escalating tensions

Mike Pompeo (left) spoke to members of the media as national security adviser Robert O’Brien listened earlier today.
Mike Pompeo (left) spoke to members of the media as national security adviser Robert O’Brien listened earlier today. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The US Secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has ordered diplomats not to meet with Iranian opposition groups without approval, according to a cable obtained by CNN and Bloomberg.

“Many exiled Iranian opposition groups try to engage US officials regularly to gain at least the appearance of tacit support and enhance their visibility and clout. Direct US government engagement with these groups could prove counterproductive to our policy goal of seeking a comprehensive deal with the Iranian regime that addresses its destabilizing behavior,” Pompeo reportedly said.

Among the groups that Pompeo has said to avoid is Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, or MEK, which once hired Rudy Giuliani, and paid John Bolton to speak at its rallies.

Pompeo reportedly indicated that diplomats who met with opposition groups could jeopardize Trump’s diplomatic efforts in Iran.

Updated

Evening summary

That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours.

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • Trump said the strike that killed the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani was “retaliation” for his past actions against the US, but the president then repeated senior officials’ claims that Suleimani was planning an “imminent” attack on Americans.
  • The president brushed off concerns about John Bolton potentially testifying in a Senate impeachment trial, claiming his former national security adviser “would know nothing about what we’re talking about”. But Bolton was reportedly present for several key events in the Ukraine saga.
  • The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, announced he had the votes to establish rules for the impeachment trial without Democratic support and would model the proceedings on Bill Clinton’s 1999 trial.
  • The Republican congressman Duncan Hunter submitted his expected resignation after pleading guilty to misusing campaign funds last month.
  • The US defense secretary, Mark Esper, said American forces were not leaving Iraq, despite the letter from the US military outlining an intention to withdraw from the country. Esper said yesterday that the letter was inaccurate.

Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

Updated

Republican congressman submits expected resignation

Congressman Duncan Hunter, who pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy for misusing campaign funds last month, has officially submitted his resignation.

The California Republican’s departure had been expected, but the timing of the move remained unclear as lawmakers returned from the holiday recess. By waiting until after the first of the month to submit the resignation, Hunter will likely be able to collect one last paycheck, as well as his congressional pension.

Hunter told the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and the California governor, Gavin Newsom, that his resignation would be effective 13 January.

With Hunter out of the way, Republicans are expected to maintain control of the House seat. Although the district leans Republican, there had previously been speculation that Democrats could pick up the seat if Hunter remained on the ballot as he faced corruption allegations.

Updated

Trump is reportedly planning to hold a campaign rally in Iowa days before the Democratic caucuses take place on 3 February.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

President Trump’s re-election campaign is planning to hold a rally in Iowa in the days leading up to the state’s leadoff caucuses, said people familiar with the plans.

Mr. Trump is expected to appear in the state several days before the Feb.3 caucuses. No event has officially been announced and the campaign did not comment.

A gathering would give the president the opportunity to frame his campaign message in what will be a key general election state, as well as counter Democrats flooding the area before the first voting of 2020.

Trump carried Iowa by 10 points in 2016, and his allies have expressed confidence he will win the Hawkeye State again this year.

Depending on the timing of the rally, Trump might have to race back to Washington after the event because he’s scheduled to deliver his annual state of the union address on 4 February.

Updated

While speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump suggested the letter from the US military indicating an imminent withdrawal of US troops from Iraq was a “hoax”.

“I don’t know anything about that letter,” Trump said. “I don’t know if that letter is a hoax.”

The Secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who was sitting next to the president, then jumped in to say the drafting of the letter had been a mistake.

The defense secretary Mark Esper said yesterday that the letter was inaccurate and repeated today, “The United States is not withdrawing from Iraq.”

Updated

The former national security adviser John Bolton was actually present for a number of key events in the Ukraine saga that ultimately led to Trump’s impeachment, despite the president’s claim that Bolton “would know nothing about what we’re talking about”.

Updated

Trump: Bolton 'would know nothing about what we’re talking about'

Taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office, Trump brushed off concerns about John Bolton, his former national security adviser, potentially testifying in a Senate impeachment trial.

Bolton said yesterday he would testify in the trial if he were subpoenaed, but it’s unclear whether the Republican-controlled Senate would approve a subpoena.

“That’s going to be up to the lawyers,” Trump said of Bolton’s testimony. “It’ll be up to the Senate, and we’ll see how they feel. He would know nothing about what we’re talking about.”

But reports have indicated the former official had firsthand knowledge of the freeze on Ukraine’s military assistance and advised Trump to release the funds.

Updated

Although Trump said he would obey international laws forbidding attacks on cultural sites, the president seemed to complain about the necessity for such restraint.

“They kill our people, they blow up our people and then we have to be very gentle with their cultural institutions,” Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office.

“But I’m OK with it. It’s OK with me. I will say this, if Iran does anything that they shouldn’t be doing, they’re going to be suffering the consequences and very strongly.”

Trump initially said the strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani was “retaliation”, but the president then claimed the strike was carried out due to an imminent threat on Americans, echoing senior officials.

“We saved a lot of lives by terminating his life, a lot of lives were saved,” Trump said. “They were planning something and you’re going to be hearing about it or at least various people in Congress are going to be hearing about it tomorrow.”

Defense officials have so far dodged questions about the specific nature of the threat Suleimani posed.

Updated

Trump appeared to back off of his earlier threat to target Iranian cultural sites, which would violate international law.

“If that’s what the law is, I like to obey the law,” the president told reporters gathered in the Oval Office.

Senior administration officials, including secretary of state Mike Pompeo and defense secretary Mark Esper, have vowed that any American military effort would comply with international laws of warfare.

Updated

Trump says Suleimani strike was 'retaliation'

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office alongside the Greek prime minister, Trump claimed the US strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani was “retaliation.”

“He was a monster. And he’s no longer a monster. He’s dead,” Trump said, according to the White House pool report.

But senior US officials have previously said the strike was meant to prevent an “imminent” attack on Americans, although they have refused to provide further details on the threat.

Updated

While speaking to reporters, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell also said Trump’s threat to strike Iranian cultural sites was “not appropirate,” marking a rare rebuke from the Republican leader.

Senior officials, including secretary of state Mike Pompeo and defense secretary Mark Esper, have tried to downplay Trump’s threat by emphasizing they would act within the confines of international law, which would obviously rule out striking cultural sites.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell informed his Republican caucus about the planned rules for an eventual impeachment trial during a meeting today.

The New York Times reports:

Mr. McConnell shared his intentions with senators over lunch in the Capitol, declaring that he has the votes he needs — including among moderate Republicans — to proceed with the trial while putting off a final decision on witnesses or new evidence. That would mean the Senate would tackle those questions after representatives of the House and the president make opening arguments and senators question both sides.

Notably, the plan offers no guarantee that senators will hear new testimony beyond what the House’s inquiry gathered last fall.

McConnell says he has votes to set impeachment trial rules

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has just confirmed earlier reports that he has the votes to set rules for the looming impeachment trial without Democratic support.

The Kentucky Republican has said he intends to follow the same framework established during Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial in 1999.

White House criticized for not disclosing meeting with Saudi official

Trump said in a tweet that he had a “very good meeting” with Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi deputy defense minister and brother of the crown prince, after the foreign official shared a photo of the pair in the Oval Office yesterday.

The meeting did not appear on Trump’s official schedule yesterday, and the White House did not release a readout, as is standard procedure.

In a statement, the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association critcized the president and his team for not disclosing the meeting sooner:

President Trump met with Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Defense at the White House yesterday, but the public did not learn about the meeting until the Saudi government released a statement about it today. The Saudi government also released photographs of the President and his senior advisers meeting with the Vice Minister of Defense in the Oval Office. A meeting with a foreign leader in the Oval Office should, at the very least, be on the public schedule with a read-out of the meeting released after it is over. This has been the long-standing precedent for presidents of both political parties. It is disturbing to see the government of Saudi Arabia have more transparency than the White House about a meeting with the President in the Oval Office.

Biden calls Trump "dangerously incompetent"

Following a campaign event in New York City this morning, Democratic 2020 candidate Joe Biden slammed Donald Trump’s assassination of Iran’s top general, Qassem Suleimani, last week, Joanna Walters writes.

The former US vice president lamented the lack of “level-headed words” from the Trump administration to explain the aggressive action, nor signals that would “take us off the path of conflict”.

“All we’ve heard are shifting explanations, evasive answers and repeated assertions of an imminent threat, without the necessary evidence to support that conclusion,” Biden added.

Then he decried the president’s adherence to the truth

“This is a president with a history of lying about virtually everything and has destroyed his own credibility as well as that of the US on the global stage...no-one around the world seems to be taking his word for it.”

Joe Biden making a foreign policy speech in Manhattan this morning
Joe Biden making a foreign policy speech in Manhattan this morning Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Updated

Afternoon summary

Here’s where the day stands so far:

  • Prosecutors recommended 0 to 6 months of prison time for Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017.
  • Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell reportedly has the votes to adopt rules for the impeachment trial without Democratic support. The Kentucky Republican hopes to model the proceedings on Bill Clinton’s trial.
  • Defense secretary Mark Esper said the US is not leaving Iraq after a draft memo from the US military seemed to indicate a withdrawal was imminent. Esper also told CNN, “We are not looking to start a war with Iran, but we are prepared to finish one.”

The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.

In his CNN interview, secretary of defense Mark Esper also said the “imminent” threat that Iranian general Qassem Suleimani posed to Americans could be measured in days.

Trump administration officials have previously dodged questions about the specific threat that Suleimani posed, raising questions about the planning of the attack.

Esper says US is not withdrawing from Iraq

Speaking to CNN, secretary of defense Mark Esper said the US is not leaving Iraq, after a draft memo from the US military seemed to indicate a withdrawal was imminent.

“The United States is not withdrawing from Iraq,” Esper said, saying the US was committed to continuing “the important ‘defeat ISIS’ mission.”

The cabinet secretary echoed the president’s comments about not looking to start a war with Iran by killing the country’s top general, Qassem Suleimani.

“We are not looking to start a war with Iran, but we are prepared to finish one,” Esper said.

He also deflected a question about Trump’s threat to strike Iranian cultural sites. “We do not violate the laws of armed conflict,” Esper said.

Prosecutors argued Michael Flynn’s aggressive new posture in the case, arguing he was tricked into pleading guilty, should impact the former national security adviser’s sentence.

Federal prosecutors had previously recommended probation for the former Trump administration official because of his “substantial assistance” in several investigations, including special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe.

But Flynn has more recently launched a series of attacks against the FBI and the Justice Department.

The sentencing of Michael Flynn has been set for 28 January after a federal judge rejected the former national security adviser’s claim that he was tricked into pleading guilty to lying to the FBI.

“Regardless of Mr Flynn’s new theories, he pled guilty twice to the crime, and he fails to demonstrate that the disclosure of the requested information would have impacted his decision to plead guilty,” US district court judge Emmet Sullivan wrote in an opinion delivered last month.

Updated

Prosecutors recommend zero to six months of incarceration for Flynn

The prosecutors overseeing the case against Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, have recommended zero to six months of incarceration after he pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI.

Updated

Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, said leadership had not ruled out the possibility of issuing a subpoena to John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser.

Bolton has said he would testify in a Senate impeachment trial if he were subpoenaed, but it’s unclear how he would respond to a House subpoena.

House Democrats previously decided against subpoenaing Bolton because he signaled he would join a lawsuit seeking a judge’s ruling on whether to comply with a congressional subpoena or White House guidance not to cooperate with the impeachment investigation.

McConnell reportedly prepares to advance impeachment trial rules

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell reportedly plans to advance a set of rules for the looming impeachment trial without Democratic support.

Politico reports:

McConnell is on the verge of having sufficient backing in his 53-member caucus to pass a blueprint for the trial that leaves the question of seeking witnesses and documents until after opening arguments are made, according to multiple senators. That framework would mirror the contours of President Bill Clinton’s trial and ignore Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s demands for witnesses and new evidence.

No final decision has been made, but in a brief interview, McConnell said he would address the possibility of spurning Democrats on Tuesday afternoon.

Pelosi dodges questions about transmitting articles of impeachment

Appearing at the US Capitol for the first time in 2020, House speaker Nancy Pelosi deflected reporters’ repeated questions about when she might transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

Pelosi has delayed sending the articles in the hope of gaining leverage over the parameters of the Senate trial, but majority leader Mitch McConnell has made it clear he has no intention of allowing the strategy to affect his handling of the trial.

This is a headline that Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg did not need: “Buttigieg Fails To Secure Delegates In Illinois’ Most Diverse Districts.”

HuffPost reports:

Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign filled less than half of the delegate slots for the four most diverse congressional districts in Illinois, a sign of how his campaign continues to struggle with Black and Latino voters.

Voters in Illinois cast ballots not only for their pick for president, but also for delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Delegates are generally associated with one of the presidential campaigns, meaning each campaign needs to find 101 people willing to serve as a delegate — at least three in each of the state’s 18 congressional districts, with additional delegates in more heavily Democratic districts.

Finding a person to fill each slot — and collecting the 500 signatures necessary to put them on the ballot — is considered an early test of a campaign’s strength in the delegate-rich state, and supporters of Buttigieg’s rivals said his failure to fill the slots points to a potentially fatal weakness with voters of color.

Buttigieg has surged to the top of polls in the first caucus state of Iowa, but his struggles to attract support from voters of color have raised questions about his long-term durability in the nominating contest.

Congressman Justin Amash, a former Republican who left the party over his opposition to Trump, criticized Senate Republicans who have argued the eventual impeachment trial should only allow evidence collected by the House.

Marco Rubio and other Republican senators raised this objection after John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, said he would testify in the trial if he were subpoenaed.

It’s still unclear whether Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer can convince four of his Republican colleagues to join the Democratic effort to subpoena Bolton and three other administration officials.

The White House said in a statement that Trump is monitoring the situation in Puerto Rico, where an earthquake this morning left at least one person dead.

“The President has been briefed on the earthquakes that Puerto Rico has experienced over the past month, including the earthquake early this morning,” spokesman Judd Deere said in the statement.

“Administration officials, including FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor, have been in touch with the Governor and her team today, and we will continue to monitor the effects and coordinate with Puerto Rico officials.”

The island has been hit with a series of earthquakes since December 28, but this morning’s 6.4-magnitude quake was the strongest yet.

Saudi official shares picture of Oval Office meeting with Trump

Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s deputy defense minister, shared a photo from an Oval Office meeting yesterday with Trump, saying the pair discussed “efforts to confront regional and international challenges.”

The meeting did not appear on the president’s public schedule yesterday, and the White House did not offer a readout from the meeting, which came as US-Iranian tensions escalate following the killing of general Qassem Suleimani.

Khalid is the younger brother of the Saudi crown prince and previously served as the country’s ambassador to the US. Khalid was reportedly the person who instructed Jamal Khashoggi to go to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where the dissident journalist was then killed by agents sent by the crown prince.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi is reportedly staying mum on when she might transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, casting even more confusion over the timeline for the eventual trial.

Republican senator Ron Johnson, who has traveled to Ukraine and previously spoken to officials who became key players in the impeachment inquiry, said he does not believe John Bolton should testify in a Senate trial.

“Having been involved, having spoken with John Bolton myself on this issue, I don’t know what additional information he might have,” Johnson said of Trump’s former national security adviser, according to the Daily Beast. “I don’t think it’d be particularly revealing.”

Other Republican senators, such as Marco Rubio, have not weighed in on the potential value of Bolton’s testimony, instead arguing that the Senate impeachment trial should be based on the information gathered by the House.

Pompeo says US will not strike Iranian cultural sites

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the US would only pursue military measures that are “consistent with the international rule of law,” after Trump raised the possibility of hitting cultural sites in Iran.

Pompeo dismissed repeated questions about whether the president was still considering striking cultural sites, instead emphasizing that “every action” the US takes would comport with international law.

The secretary of state then argued the Ayatollah posed the highest threat to Iranian culture. “The real risk to Persian culture does not come from the Unites States of America,” Pompeo said.

The cabinet secretary offered no details on what “imminent” threat Iranian general Qassem Suleimani posed before he was killed in a US drone strike. “If you’re looking for imminence, you need look no further than the days that led up to the strike,” Pompeo said.

Updated

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo laughed off the idea that Iranian general Qassem Suleimani was in Baghdad for a diplomatic mission when he was killed in a US drone strike, as Iranian and Iraqi officials have claimed.

“Anyone here believe that?” Pompeo asked the reporters gathered at the State Department.

Pompeo dismissed the idea of Suleimani conducting a peace mission as “Iranian propaganda.”

Updated

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said escalating tensions between the US and Iran did not contribute to his decision not to enter the Senate race in his home state of Kansas.

The former congressman has repeatedly said he would stay in his cabinet role as long as Trump wanted him to, but Pompeo has also made repeated trips to Kansas since taking over the state department, leading to speculation about his plans.

But Pompeo reportedly informed Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell yesterday that he had decided against launching a campaign.

Pompeo addresses reporters at the State Department

Secretary of state Mike Pompeo is addressing reporters at the State Department, touching on the everything from the protests in Hong Kong to the situation in Venezuela.

The cabinet secretary also made a quick mention of Iran at the beginning of his remarks, accusing Tehran of “actively working to undermine the peace process” in Afghanistan.

For more updates on Pompeo’s remarks, follow the Guardian’s live blog on the fallout from the Suleimani strike.

US forces reportedly on high alert across the Middle East

US forces across the Middle East are reportedly on high alert, monitoring for potential Iranian drone strikes after the killing of general Qassem Suleimani.

CNN reports:

US forces and air-defense missile batteries across the Middle East were placed on high alert overnight Monday to possibly shoot down Iranian drones as intelligence mounted about a threat of an imminent attack against US targets, two US officials tell CNN. ...

US intelligence also has observed Iran moving military equipment, including drones and ballistic missiles, over the last several days. US officials said the movement may be an Iranian effort to secure its weapons from a potential US strike, or put them in positions to launch their own attacks. ...

Iran has put missiles on its drones that have been used in other attacks, including a significant attack on Saudi oil installations last year. While forces have already been on high alert for several days, they were even more vigilant Monday night, both officials said.

Warren targets Biden with new bankruptcy plan

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is out with a new plan to overhaul the 2005 bankruptcy law in order to help families who are looking for a way out of crushing debt.

“Thanks in part to the 2005 bankruptcy bill, our current system makes it far too hard for people in need to start the bankruptcy process so they can get back on their feet,” Warren wrote in a Medium post outlining her proposal. “My plan streamlines the process, reduces costs, and gives people more flexibility in bankruptcy to find solutions that match their financial problems.”

The 2005 law was championed by then-senator Joe Biden, now a frontrunner in the Democratic presidential primary, so Warren’s proposal implicitly criticizes her rival for his legislative record.

In the Medium post, Warren notes she served on a blue-ribbon panel in the 1990’s to review US bankruptcy laws and later fought against the passage of the 2005 law, which the credit-card industry lobbied for. “I lost that fight in 2005, and working families paid the price,” Warren wrote. “But I didn’t stop fighting to hold the financial industry accountable and to help American families.”

Warren’s plan would make it easier to file for bankruptcy, end rules making it difficult to discharge student loans and address racial and gender disparities in the bankruptcy system.

Pompeo to speak at State Department at 10 a.m. ET

The State Department has just announced secretary of state Mike Pompeo will address reporters at 10 a.m. ET, which is about 45 minutes from now.

Pompeo’s appearance comes as questions continue to swirl about what “imminent” threat Iranian general Qassem Suleimani allegedly presented before being killed in a US drone strike.

The secretary of state may also be asked about yesterday’s confusion between the US military and the Pentagon regarding a draft memo indicating American troops were withdrawing from Iraq. Secretary of defense Mark Esper quickly disputed the accuracy of the memo, saying the US had no intention of leaving Iraq.

On top of all that foreign-policy chaos, reports emerged yesterday that Pompeo has decided to pass on a potential Senate run in his home state of Kansas.

Updated

Spotlight on Pelosi as House speaker delays sending articles of impeachment

Good morning, live blog readers!

The House of Representatives will convene for the first time of the new year today, and all eyes are on speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has not yet transmitted the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump that her chamber passed last month.

Considering Congress recessed for the holidays shortly after the articles were approved, this week will be the first true signal of when Pelosi might advance the issue of impeachment to the Senate.

Close observers of Capitol Hill had widely speculated Pelosi would transmit the articles at some point this week, but the calculus has shifted since John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, said yesterday that he would testify in a Senate trial if subpoenaed.

Now Democrats are weighing how to best leverage that news to try to influence the parameters of the Senate trial, but majority leader Mitch McConnell has made clear he has no intention of allowing the articles’ delay to affect his handling of impeachment.

Pelosi now has to weigh the potential benefit of gaining leverage with the cost of perpetually delaying a trial that will almost certainly end in the president’s acquittal. This week will likely provide many clues on how the speaker plans to proceed.

Julián Castro, Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren talk during a break at the first Democratic debate.
Julián Castro, Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren talk during a break at the first Democratic debate. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

Here’s what else the blog is keeping its eye on today:

  • Trump will welcome Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the White House.
  • Elizabeth Warren wild hold a Brooklyn event tonight alongside former Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro, who endorsed her yesterday.
  • The burial of Iranian general Qassem Suleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike last week, has been postponed, due to a stampede during his funeral procession.

The blog will have much more coming up, so stay tuned.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Megan Fox hits back at wild ‘clone’ conspiracy after Instagram return
The actress returned to Instagram on Wednesday after an almost two year break from the platform
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Benny Blanco's Hygiene History: Toe Kiss, Dirty Feet, No-Shower Confession, and Cheese Bath
Explore the viral toe kiss between Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco on the 'Friends Keep Secrets' podcast, along with fans' chatter about their quirky relationship and hygiene debates.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Influencer Jaclyn Hill shares how filler has ‘migrated’ across her face after weight loss
The influencer says she was ‘so happy’ when the ‘filler migration’ was confirmed by her doctor
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Did the Epstein Files Mention Britney Spears 115 Times? Viral TikTok Claim Examined
Viral claims say Britney Spears is mentioned 115 times in Epstein files amid alleged neurological experiments. Here's what is verified.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
YSL lights up Paris fashion week show with return of Le Smoking suit
Anthony Vaccarello marks decade at helm of fashion house with powered-up take on Yves Saint Laurent’s classic
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Andy Dick makes startling confession months after 'overdose' which left him with holes in his brain
Andy Dick has been candid about maintaining his sobriety a few months after suffering an apparent overdose which has affected his memory.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play