Iran has launched more than a dozen missiles at US and coalition military sites in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of top general Qasem Soleimani.
Tehran fired the 22 short-range missiles from Iranian territories at about 1.30am local time (10.30pm GMT) on Wednesday, just hours after the burial of Soleimani.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The missile launches were a “major retaliation” by the regime, Fox News says.
According to the Pentagon, two sites were attacked, in Irbil and Al Asad, west Baghdad. A White House spokesperson added: “The president has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team.”
Donald Trump has tweeted that “All is well!” The US president added: “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 statement following the attack, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said: “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 added: “To the Great Satan... we warn that if you repeat your wickedness or take any additional movements or make additional aggression, we will respond with more painful and crushing responses.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei described the strike as “a slap in the face” for the US, adding: “When it comes to confrontation, military action of this kind is not enough. What is important is that the corrupt presence of the United States should come to an end.”
However, the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, later seemed to be attempting to play down the tension, saying: “We do not seek escalation or war.”
Yashar Ali – an American journalist of Iranian descent - tweeted that it was “naïve” to think the attack heralded the end of the row. He added: “If you think Iran lobbing missiles over the border is the kind of revenge they ultimately have in mind, you’re wrong.”
According to CNN, “the crisis the world feared when President Donald Trump was elected president is upon us”.
In a post on Twitter, Thomas Juneau, an assistant professor and Iran expert at the University of Ottawa, said: “Iran assesses Trump does not want to get bogged down in a large scale war in the Middle East, and that this gives it more margin to manoeuvre.
“Needless to say, this is a HUGE gamble given how unpredictable Trump is.”
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
-
Political cartoons for December 23Cartoons Tuesday's political cartoons include an eye on CBS, cracking the middle class, and Donald Trump's name on everything
-
Women carrying ChristmasTalking Point As the Christmas frenzy ramps up, many mums feel the pressure of ‘keeping the whole sleigh on the road’
-
Is Keir Starmer being hoodwinked by China?Today's Big Question PM’s attempt to separate politics and security from trade and business is ‘naïve’
-
Hong Kong court convicts democracy advocate LaiSpeed Read Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was convicted in a landmark national security trial
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Pakistan: Trump’s ‘favourite field marshal’ takes chargeIn the Spotlight Asim Munir’s control over all three branches of Pakistan’s military gives him ‘sweeping powers’ – and almost unlimited freedom to use them
-
Is Europe finally taking the war to Russia?Today's Big Question As Moscow’s drone buzzes and cyberattacks increase, European leaders are taking a more openly aggressive stance
-
Pushing for peace: is Trump appeasing Moscow?In Depth European leaders succeeded in bringing themselves in from the cold and softening Moscow’s terms, but Kyiv still faces an unenviable choice
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
South Africa wraps up G20 summit boycotted by USSpeed Read Trump has been sparring with South Africa in recent months
