Will Iran retaliate for the death of Qasem Soleimani, is the UK at risk and will we go to war?
THE world is on high alert with tensions at boiling point between Iran and the US over the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani.
But will Iran retaliate, is the UK at risk and will we go to war?
Will Iran retaliate for the death of Qasem Soleimani?
Iran has vowed to retaliate after the US launched missiles killing General Qasem Soleimani.
Ahman Khatami, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, said in a chilling threat to the US troops in Middle East that it is "time to clear the region from these insidious beasts."
He added: "I am telling Americans, especially Trump, we will take revenge that will change their daylight into a nighttime darkness."
Iran's defence minister threatened the US with "crushing revenge" and "jihad" in retaliation.
Meanwhile, Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini said "severe revenge awaits the criminals" behind the attack.
Trump has retaliated to Iranian threats, saying he will unleash $2 trillion worth of new military equipment if US bases are targeted.
Tehran pinpointed 35 "key US targets" to attack - and in response, the US has threatened to attack 52 Iranian targets "very fast and very hard" if they retaliate.
However - Iran does not have any nuclear weapons.
This means their response, if they do retaliate, won't be on the scale of a nuclear attack.
But a significant Iranian attack is to be expected, which could force both the US and Iran to come close to an all-out conflict.
Their response could be against US military interests in the region - or it could be against any of their allies.
Is the UK at risk of going to war?
What happens next is broadly out of the control of the UK.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was "sympathetic" with President Trump ordering a drone attack on him in Baghdad on Friday, and described him as a "regional menace".
Mr Raab has urged all parties to de-escalate - saying that "further conflict is in none of our interests."
With tensions at an all-time high, many fear that the hostility will cause World War Three - and that the UK may be dragged into it.
Any state or country allied with America will be seen as a legitimate target for attacks by the Iranian Quds force - and as their oldest ally, the UK is particularly at risk if war were to erupt.
Tom Tugendhat, senior Tory MP and former Army officer, dubbed the White House’s failure to inform No10 of the assassination plan as "a concern."
He added: "Having allies means we can surprise our enemies not each other.
"I would urge our US allies to share more with us."
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Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry called the UK government's response "pathetic."
She said: "I think there is a tremendous risk we could end up in another war and I think we have to do everything that we can to pull Donald Trump back from this."
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