Latest news: All 176 passengers killed as Boeing 737 crashes near Tehran Iran brands Britain America’s ‘partner in crime’ over Soleimani death US says attack planned by Soleimani was ‘days’ from happening More than 60 people die after stampede at general’s funeral US bans airlines from flying over Iraq and Iran Subscribe to The Telegraph, free for 30 days Iran ‘aimed to miss’ when it fired 22 missiles at US forces in Iraq on Wednesday night, officials in the Pentagon have claimed, as it emerged there were no casualties in the rocket barrage. According to Bloomberg, a US official said that no Americans were killed in the strike, leading the Pentagon to believe that the Iranian regime was “aiming to miss.” However, experts said the type of missile Iran used was notoriously unreliable, and that the regime may well have missed targets by accident. It came as Boris Johnson has said he opposes any “escalation of violence” in the Middle East, as he urged Iran not to repeat its missile attacks that struck US bases in Iraq overnight and called for them to back down from conflict. The Prime Minister, who added that there appeared to be no UK casualties following the strike on Western forces, called on Iran to pursue “urgent de-escalation.” As details emerged of the retaliatory strikes, where 22 missiles were fired, foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: “We urge Iran not to repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks, and instead to pursue urgent de-escalation.” The rockets from Iran struck US targets last night, hitting two Iraqi airbases where American and coalition forces are based. Iran launched surface-to-surface missiles in attacks on the Ain al-Assad and Erbil bases as revenge for the killing of Gen Qassim Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad last week. Iraqi security forces find and collect the pieces of missiles as they gather to inspect the site after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq, a facility jointly operated by U.S. and Iraqi forces, at Bardarash district of Erbil in Iraq Credit: Andalou There are so far no reports of casualties, but it was Iran’s most direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the US Embassy in Tehran. The operation was codenamed “Martyr Soleimani”. In a tweet, Donald Trump said: “All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! “We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.” In a sign that Tehran was seeking to draw a line under the recent escalation of tensions, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said: “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression”. Pieces of missiles are seen at the rural area of Al-Baghdadi town after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Credit: Anadolu Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei has said the missile strikes were a “slap in the face” for Washington. The head of state reiterated added that the US may have ‘cut off Soleimani’s arm’ but Iran would respond by ‘cutting off your leg’ in the Middle East region. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard, a branch of the Iranian army close to the country’s supreme leader, has ordered the White House to “recall US troops” from the region. The Pentagon confirmed the attacks: “At approximately 5.30pm (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 US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil.” What we know so far Iran launches more than a dozen rockets at US bases in Iraq Al-Assad and Erbil bases targeted Trump tweets: “All is well!” and “So far, so good!” Price of oil leaps after attack Operation codenamed “Martyr Soleimani” No casualties reported Defense Department spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said: “It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran.” He said the attacks “targeted at least two Iraqi military bases” and that the US is “working on initial battle damage assessments”. There are about 5,000 American troops in Iraq. Iran’s ballistic missile range Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, and Mark Esper, the defence secretary, arrived quickly at the White House to brief the president. Mr Raab said: “We condemn this attack on Iraqi military bases hosting Coalition – including British – forces. He added: “A war in the Middle East would only benefit Daesh and other terrorist groups.” Qassim Soleimani drone strike | Read more Oil prices jumped up after the attack. US crude was up 1.2 per cent to more than $63 a barrel, coming down slightly from a 4 per cent spike earlier. Gold reached a six-year high as worried investors headed for safe-haven assets. 2:57PM Hackers aid spread of Iranian propaganda The Telegraph’s Raf Sanchez reports: Someone appears to be mounting a hacking campaign to exaggerate the impact of the Iran strikes. Kuwaiti newswire was hacked earlier to say US was pulling out and now a prominent Israeli journalist was hacked to say wounded US troops are being flown to Israel from Iraq. pic.twitter.com/IutKUz29iX— Raf Sanchez (@rafsanchez) January 8, 2020 2:43PM Trump to speak out on Iran at 4pm UK time Donald Trump will address the nation in a speech at 4pm UK time, according to the White House. Stay with us for the latest updates. 2:18PM More details on bases hit by Iran Raf Sanchez in Jerusalem writes: Iran’s missiles targeted the al-Asad airbase in western Iraq and a smaller airbase near Irbil in northeast Iraq. Both are Iraqi bases which host Western military forces. Al-Asad (“The Lion”) is the second largest airbase in Iraq after Balad airbase in Baghdad. It is home to around 1,500 Western military personnel, mostly Americans but also some British. The US flies fighter jets, drones, and transport aircraft from al-Asad. Mr Trump and his wife Melania visited the base on Boxing Day 2018 and addressed US troops there. The base was established by Iraq’s Ba’ath regime in the 1970s and then taken over Western forces during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The Irbil base is significantly smaller but was a key hub for coalition forces in the fight against the Islamic State (Isil). The base is in the Kurdish-controlled northeast of Iraq, meaning it is much harder for pro-Iran Shia militias to target with rocket fire. 2:04PM Safety warning for French in Israel French citizens in the Israeli city of Haifa have been urged to stay out of public places amid concerns they could be targeted by supporters of Iran. senior Iran figures have suggested Israel would be one of its key targets as part of retaliation for the Soleimani killing. 1:25PM ‘No retreat’ The Iranian president is quoted as saying the regime “won’t retreat in the face of America.” 12:13PM PM urges Iran to stop violence ‘Iran should not repeat these reckless and dangerous attacks’ Following an attack on US military bases, @borisjohnson says Iran should ‘pursue urgent deescalation’ https://t.co/MgJV0YQzChpic.twitter.com/bxsXZS6jRz— ITV News (@itvnews) January 8, 2020 12:11PM PM: There appears to be no UK casualties NEW: Johnson says “as far as we can tell” no casualties sustained by the US. Repeats there were no UK casualties PMQs— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) January 8, 2020 12:00PM Nato condemns bombing I condemn the Iranian missile attacks on US & @coalition forces in Iraq. NATO calls on Iran to refrain from further violence. Allies continue to consult & remain committed to our training mission in Iraq. pic.twitter.com/6PdXMZxSNB— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) January 8, 2020 11:41AM Iranian propaganda painting distorted picture of strikes Raf Sanchez in Jerusalem writes: To the outside world, Iran’s “severe revenge” may look like a bit of a dud. No American troops were killed in the missile attack. At least one missile landed harmlessly in a field nowhere near its target. But inside Iran state media is telling a different story. State television reported that at least “80 American terrorists” were killed in the attack. Pro-government media is full of images of the ballistic missiles streaking through the night towards their targets. A doctored picture is circulating showing Ayatollah Khamenei in the control room as the missiles were fired (the photo is actually from several years ago). The supreme leader was able to appear before a crowd in Tehran this morning and say with a straight face that his forces had delivered “a slap in the face” to the US. This split screen reality – where Iranians and Americans are being told totally different things – improves the chances for peace. Both sides can potentially claim victory and move towards de-escalation if they feel they haven’t lost face in front of their publics. 11:25AM Iranian President tweets warning to US General Soleimani fought heroically against ISIS, Al Nusrah, Al Qaeda et al. If it weren’t for his war on terror, European capitals would be in great danger now. Our final answer to his assassination will be to kick all US forces out of the region.— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) January 8, 2020 This is a tweet from Iran’s President, who appears to be mirroring President Trump’s social media-led diplomacy. 10:59AM Expert: prepare for long proxy conflict An expert on Iranian affairs has warned the missile strike is likely to trigger a lengthy conflict waged by Iranian proxies against US allies. “Make no mistake about it: this is the beginning of a very prolonged confrontation between Iran and its proxies and the United States and its allies,” Fawaz Gerges, a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics, said earlier in an interview with the BBC. He added that both sides appeared to be “climbing down” from direct conflict, but the situation remained unstable. 10:56AM Iran crisis is stemming aid flow, Nordic Refugee Council warns The escalating cycle of reprisals between the United States and Iran is threatening the delivery of aid to millions across the Middle East, the Norwegian Refugee Council warned Wednesday. “Tens of millions of people across the Middle East need humanitarian assistance. Most of them are already devastated or displaced by conflict,” NRC chief Jan Egeland said in a statement. “Another confrontation among international and regional powers would be deadly for aid lifelines on the brink of collapse,” he warned. The killing last week in a US strike in Baghdad of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani has touched off a bloody cycle of tit-for-tat violence between the two foes. Iran responded by firing missiles on a US air base in western Iraq overnight. Each side has warned the other that any new attack would trigger a fierce response. 10:45AM Early detection system spared US troops US troops scrambled into bunkers after an early warning that Iranian missiles were on the way, USA Today reports. The news website said that a National Security Base in Maryland detected the strike from 6,000 miles away, citing a defence official. The US says there have been no American casualties. 10:41AM Iraqi paramilitary vows response to Iranian strike Iraqi militia leader Qais al-Khazali says that now Iran has responded for Soleimani’s death, Iraqi militias must respond for the death of one of their leaders alongside him. He says the Iraqi retaliation should be “no less than the size of the Iranian response”. https://t.co/Wu7qE06dyc— Raf Sanchez (@rafsanchez) January 8, 2020 10:27AM Iran strike: key questions answered Raf Sanchez, our Middle East Correspondent, has answers to the key questions following the Iranian missile strike. Is Iran’s attack over? Iran is signaling that it does not plan further direct attacks against the US and is not looking for further escalation. “Iran took and concluded proportionate measures in self-defence,” said Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister. “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.” What happens next? The ball is firmly in Donald Trump’s court. The US president must decide if he’s prepared to ignore the Iranian missiles and move on, in which case there is a good chance the cycle of escalation stops, or whether American credibility and his own political prestige demand that the US retaliates. If he chooses the second option we should expect more shooting in the days to come. Mr Trump is due to speak on Wednesday morning US time but his early response has been uncharacteristically relaxed. Is this enough to satisfy Iran’s need for revenge? It will be a bit humbling for Iran if their “severe revenge” for Soleimani’s death is essentially a fireworks show that didn’t kill anyone. But there may also be sighs of relief in Tehran that no Americans were killed as the Iranian regime is eager to avoid a head-on war with superior US forces. And it can muddy the waters in the information war by suggesting to its own public that the Western media is lying that there were no US casualties. Meanwhile, it is likely to continue planning covert action against US interests. Is it politically possible for Trump to ignore the missiles? Mr Trump threatened last week to hit 52 targets in Iran in retaliation for any Iranian strike and his public image is built upon being the tough man who brooks no defiance from Iran. So it will be a bit of a political climb down for him to let these missiles go unanswered. But there is a political win here for Mr Trump if he chooses to take it. He doesn’t want a war with Iran and he knows the American public doesn’t either. 10:24AM Iran gave Iraq little warning of strike According to our Middle East Correspondent, Iraq says it was warned by Iran last night that a strike was incoming – but only when it had already begun. Iraqi govt says Iran informed them it was going to strike bases in Iraq but only as the strike was beginning i.e. no real heads up. Statement says Iraq “rejects any violation of its sovereignty” but makes no specific complaint about Iran hitting its bases. https://t.co/dP6amQhoN0— Raf Sanchez (@rafsanchez) January 8, 2020 10:21AM EU Commission chief: Use of weapons must stop now The use of weapons must stop NOW to give space for dialogue. We are called upon to do everything possible to rekindle talks. There cannot be enough of that. We have established and timetested relations with many actors in the region and beyond to de-escalate the situation.— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 8, 2020 9:31AM Police “extremely alert” to any effect Iran crisis may have in UK Police are monitoring the crisis in Iran and are “extremely alert” to any effect it may have in the UK, the country’s most senior officer has said. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick told LBC that head of UK counter-terror policing Neil Basu has been in discussions with the security agencies and government bodies about the crisis. She told host Nick Ferrari: “It’s a very worrying time clearly and we have lots of people of Iranian and Iraqi heritage and the surrounding areas in London, so there’s lots for us to think about, lots for us to be alert to. “What I can say is so far in London we have had no issues directly associated with this, there was one quite small protest. “But of course we’re extremely alert to what this could possibly lead to, but it’s a very complex situation. At the moment there’s absolutely no impact on London.” Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Credit: Reuters Dame Cressida, herself a former chief of counter-terrorism policing, said the force is “very adept” at measuring possible domestic threats linked to international events. “Being the international city that we are, with the multiplicity of communities and also the threats that we have had to face over the years which change and morph all the time, we are very, very adept at seeing what’s happening around the world, reaching out into communities and looking at the possible threats and risks that might come,” she said. “That’s what we’re doing on a day by day basis, and in response to this.” The UK’s terror threat level remains at substantial, meaning an attack is likely. 9:24AM EU: This violence is in no one’s interests Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, says: The latest rocket attack on airbases in Iraq used by US and coalition forces – among them European – are yet another example of escalation and increased confrontation. It is in no-one’s interest to turn up the spiral of violence even further. 8:26AM Germany calls for end to ‘spiral’ of conflict Germany’s defence minister condemned Iranian missile attacks on Iraqi bases housing coalition military on Wednesday morning, and called on Tehran to end a “spiral” of conflict. “The German government strongly condemns this aggression… it is now primarily up to the Iranians to refrain from further escalation,” Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told broadcaster ARD. 8:01AM Snap analysis: ball is in Donald Trump’s court The muted missile strikes appear to be humbling for Iran. But Trump’s next move will dictate where the crisis goes next, writes Raf Sanchez, the Telegraph’s Middle East correspondent When Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, ordered his military to retaliate for Qassim Soleimani’s death he reportedly gave them three criteria: – The attack should be carried out openly by Iran’s military, not some proxy group. – It should be aimed directly at US forces, not American allies or commercial interests. – It should significant but also small enough to avoid starting a full-blown war. Last night’s missile barrage against US bases in Iraq seems to have met all three of those criteria and Iran is now signaling it doesn’t want any further escalation. “Iran took and concluded proportionate measures in self-defence,” said Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister. “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.” The Revolutionary Guard put out a more bellicose statement on what it called “Operation Martyr Soleimani” but said it would only launch more strikes if the US retaliated. It will be a bit humbling for Iran that their “severe revenge” for Soleimani’s death was essentially a fireworks show that didn’t kill anyone. But there may also be sighs of relief in Tehran that no Americans were killed. The Iranian regime now has video footage of its missiles lifting off into the night in defiance of the US, which will no doubt play on a loop for days on pro-government television. And it can muddy the waters by suggesting Western media is lying that there were no US casualties. The ball is now firmly in Donald Trump’s court. The US president must decide if he’s prepared to ignore the Iranian missiles and move on, in which case there is a good chance the cycle of escalation stops, or whether American credibility and his own political prestige demands that the US retaliates. If he chooses the second option expect more shooting in the days to come. 7:51AM ‘A slap in the face of the US’ Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei has said the Iranian missile strikes on US bases overnight was a ‘slap in the face’ for Washington. The head of state reiterated that US troops should leave the region, saying the US and Israel were Iran’s enemies. He also used his speech to rekindle attacks on the nuclear deal, saying that a renegotiation of the accord will only play into the US’s hands. Khamenei added that the US may have ‘cut off Soleimani’s arm’ but Iran would respond by ‘cutting off your leg’ in the Middle East region. He said Gen Qassem Soleimani was a “great, brave warrior” and “dear friend to us”. 7:36AM US troops ‘scrambled for cover’ It is still unclear if US troops were injured or killed in the missile strikes – despite Donald Trump’s claims that “all is good”. Senior US officials have told USA Today that “the early warning system worked” at the Ain Assad base. According to the report “troops stationed at that base did have advance warning of incoming missiles so they were able to scramble for cover”. The officials added that a hangar was damaged at the Ain Assad base. 6:58AM Raab: UK condemns “reckless and dangerous attacks” Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, has condemned the “reckless and dangerous attacks” and called for restraint by Iran. He said: “We condemn this attack on Iraqi military bases hosting Coalition – including British – forces. “We are concerned by reports of casualties and the 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.” 6:49AM Rouhani to address nation Reuters is reporting that Iran’s president, President Hassan Rouhani, will deliver a speech to the nation following the missile strikes on US targets in Iraq. President Rouhani will speak to Iranians today Credit: REUTERS 6:34AM Norwegian forces unhurt About 70 Norwegian troops were also on the Ain al-Assad airbase but no injuries were reported, Brynjar Stordal, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Armed Forces told AP. Canadian forces, also on the base, were unharmed. 6:09AM Iraq confirms no casualties Iraqi military officials said there were no casualties among its forces following Iran’s attacks. The military said that it recorded a bombardment of 22 missiles between 1.45am and 2.15am on Friday morning. Seventeen of them fell on the Al-Assad base. 5:56AM Iran claims ’80 US casualties’ Farc, Iran’s state news agency, is claiming 80 US troops were hurt or killed in this morning’s attacks. This seems highly unlikely, but it is clear that the Iranian media are in celebration mode. خبرفوری | یک مقام آگاه در اطلاعات سپاه: مطابق گزارشات دقیق منابع ما در منطقه تا این لحظه دستکم ۸۰ نظامی آمریکایی کشته و حدود ۲۰۰ نفر زخمی شدهاند که زخمیها بلافاصله با بالگرد از این پایگاه بیرون برده شدهاند. pic.twitter.com/bthOnMR3mz— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) January 8, 2020 Iran also claimed to have damaged helicopters, drones and other equipment at the Ain al-Assad air base. 5:35AM Passenger plane crashes in Tehran A plane carrying 170 people has crashed near Tehran shortly after taking off. All passengers and crew are believed to have died. It is not yet clear if the crash is related to the missile attacks in Iraq. Read more on that here. 2:58AM Trump’s bizarre tweet: ‘All is well! So far, so good!’ In a bizarre tweet after hours of silence, Donald Trump said: “All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! “We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.” It sounds like he’s off to bed for the night. All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2020 2:45AM Iran: ‘We will defend ourselves’ Iran’s Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif, tweeted a statement that said: “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression”. Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched. We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 8, 2020 2:43AM Democrats criticise ‘needless provocations’ Nancy Pelosi was handed a note about Iran’s attack during a meeting of House Democrats and the Speaker left soon thereafter, according to people present. She later tweeted: ”Closely monitoring the situation following bombings targeting U.S. troops in Iraq. We must ensure the safety of our service members, including ending needless provocations from the Administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence. America & world cannot afford war.” Democratic presidential candidates have also expressed their concern. Elizabeth Warren said: “This is a reminder why we need to de-escalate tension in the Middle East. The American people do not want a war with Iran.” Joe Biden said: “I just pray to God as he [the president] goes through what’s happening, as we speak, that he’s listening to his military commanders for the first time because so far that has not been the case,” he added. 2:21AM Flag for a flag After the US attack on Qassim Soleimani, Donald Trump tweeted the American flag. Moments after Iran launched dozens of missiles against US targets in Iraq, Saeed Jalili – an Iranian politician who is reportedly close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei – tweeted an Iranian flag. pic.twitter.com/Nske7KLJVy— Saeed Jalili (@DrSaeedJalili) January 7, 2020 1:57AM Military jets seen over Baghdad – reports Military jets could be seen flying over the Iraqi capital, hours after Tehran’s attack. Correspondents for Agence France-Presse saw jets cutting through the clouds over Baghdad but could not immediately identify the planes. 1:40AM Restricted flights over Persian Gulf – FAA The Federal Aviation Administration – the US body for regulating civil aviation at home and overseas – has issued an emergency restriction for Persian Gulf airspace following the attacks by Iran, citing “potential for miscalculation or mis-identification”. 1:05AM First pictures: Iran’s attack Iranian state media has released images that allegedly show its attacks on the US targets. An image from footage of the attack on Ain al-Assad shown on Iranian state television Credit: GETTY IMAGES 12:56AM Oil prices leap up after news of attack Oil prices spiked on Wednesday morning, rising over 4.5 per cent at one point after Iran’s attack. The benchmark WTI jumped as much as 4.53 per cent to $65.54 a barrel before settling down slightly. Oil prices hit a six-year high on Monday Credit: BORIS ROESSLER/DPA 12:42AM Pentagon confirms attack The Pentagon has confirmed the attack: “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 US military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil.” 12:28AM Iran: ‘Any base is a target’ Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said the attack was in retaliation for the US killing of Qassim Soleimani. “We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted,” it said in a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. 12:20AM President ‘monitoring’ attack The White House press secretary has said that Donald Trump “has been briefed and is monitoring the situation” in Iraq after reports of airstrikes on a US and coalition base. We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq. The President has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team.— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) January 7, 2020
