Image copyright AFP Image caption Iranians in Tehran demonstrate against Gen Soleimani's killing The United States killed top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani in an air strike in Iraq on Friday. Soleimani spearheaded operations in the Middle East, and his killing marks a major escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran. BBC defence and diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus answers your questions about what this action means. How likely is this to escalate to WW3? - Lewis Alcott While some have…

PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he does not want, or foresee, war with Iran, after he earlier threatened to retaliate against the country following violent protests led by Iranian-backed militias at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. Asked about the possibility of tensions spiraling into a war with Iran, Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida: “Do I want to? No. I want to have peace. I like peace. And Iran should…

US President Donald Trump has issued a threat to Iran, after blaming the nation for an attack on the US embassy in neighbouring Iraq. The American compound was attacked by a crowd of angry demonstrators furious over the deaths of militia members killed by US air strikes. President Trump tweeted on New Year's Eve that Iran "will pay a very big price" for any damage or loss of life. "This is not a warning, it is a threat," he said.…

The total number of migrants arriving in small boats in 2019 reached almost 1,900, as three more boats were intercepted off the Kent coast. Home Secretary Sajid Javid declared a "major incident" after 138 migrants arrived in boats in December 2018. During December 2019 more than double that number - 283 migrants - landed on the Kent and Sussex coasts. At least 1,892 have successfully crossed the Channel this year, according to research by the BBC. A further 1,235 people…

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi has condemned the US air strikes which killed at least 25 members of an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia. Mr Mahdi said the US action on Sunday had violated Iraq's sovereignty. The prime minister appeared to suggest that Iraq would now have to review its relationship with the US. US forces targeted the Kataib Hezbollah militia in retaliation for attacks on bases in Iraq that are used by the US military. The Americans have fought for…

Africa's largest mobile operator MTN says it is reviewing allegations that it paid protection money to militant Islamist groups in Afghanistan. The allegations, made in a legal complaint filed in a US federal court on Friday, say the firm violated US anti-terrorism laws. It was filed on behalf of families of US citizens killed in attacks in Afghanistan. Five other companies were also named in the filing. The complaint alleges MTN paid bribes to al-Qaida and the Taliban to avoid…

Tehran accused Paris on Sunday of "interference" in the case of an Iranian-French academic held in the Islamic republic, saying she is considered an Iranian national and faces security charges. France said on Friday it summoned Iran's ambassador to protest the imprisonment of Fariba Adelkhah and another academic, Roland Marchal of France, saying their detention was "intolerable". Their imprisonment has added to distrust between Tehran and Paris at a time when French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to play a…

Forty days after the first protesters were killed in Iran’s worst unrest in decades, Iranians took their grievances against the government to cemeteries on Thursday, marking both the end of the traditional mourning period and their determination not to back down. Over four days of protests in November, security forces shot and killed up to 450 people, human rights organizations estimate, and in the weeks leading up to Thursday, some of their survivors called on the public to join them…